Haven beamed, waving at him as they started up the ramp. Vytln didn’t let her walk the entire way alone before he was there, pulling her back into his side while she laughed. Every moment away from her felt like shards of glass raking against his nerves.
“Satisfied?” Tanin asked, looking the peacekeepers over with an impassive gaze.
The leader grunted, his features totally invisible behind the shiny black mask of his white helmet. The all-white armor with the insignia of the peacekeepers on the breastplate was obnoxious in just how garish and bright it was. “You’re all clear. But the captain wants me to pass on the message that he won’t continue to accept you finding stray humans, and the next one will be taken.”
“Tell your captain to do his job better, and maybe there won’t be as many stray humans,” Vytln grumbled under his breath making Haven shake with silent laughter.
“We’ll keep that in mind,” was all Tanin said however, his voice impassive. “Where is our payment?”
“That’s not my job. Someone will bring it to you shortly.”
With that, the peacekeeper turned and marched off, joining the others as they formed a tight, orderly square to walk away. Rigid, controlled, disciplined.
Morons.
Before they could disperse and leave Tanin to collect the payment – since the entire crew wasn’t needed for that part, one of the representatives of the supply depot came jogging up the ramp. It was a female with a happy smile. Vytln couldn’t tell herspecies, but it was a furry one with a long, fluffy tail. She stopped in front of Tanin.
“You are the crew of the Humility?” She asked brightly.
Tanin grunted once. “You have our payment.”
“Yes,” she beamed. “If you and your crew will follow me-”
“I will go alone,” Tanin cut her off, his tone as calm as ever, but the edge within it unmistakable.
She giggled. Unconcerned. “I’m afraid I must insist.”
“Why?”
She smirked. “Because they’re paying me a lot of credz to lock your ship in dock and not let you go untilallof you agree to a meal with them. And then they’ll let you go. With your credz, of course.”
Vytln’s entire body tightened, jaw locking. Tanin glanced back at him. With the thing with Ikvar cleared up, there could only be one person who would want to speak with them.
Even as he had that thought, the doors into the depot opened, and more people came filing out. His people. Not just because they were lvtl males. They were oncehispeople. He knew them all by name and face. Cousins. Friends. Family. Males he’d grown around. Ones he recognized readily even after all these years.
And ones that recognized him.
He could tell by the mocking, victorious smirks that came over their faces. They knew they were hunting him, and they’d succeeded. The female who controlled the dock locking ontotheir ship was stepping back, falling away, beaming greedily as she let the crowd meet them at the base of the Humility.
Vytln finally let go of Haven. He pushed her behind him, taking front with Tanin. Letting Trove take his place in the rear. Not because he didn’t want to protect the females, but because it was clear that he was the target, not them. And if he was the target, it was best that he step forward and draw their attention from their more fragile crewmates.
Tanin stood beside him, his expression unchanged. Unconcerned. He wasn’t afraid of these males. He was only cautious because it was easier for them to play nice.
For now.
“Very well,” Tanin said, giving in without putting up a fuss. “We will come.”
“Your females may stay,” the lead male, one of Vytln’s cousins that he’d never liked, said. His eyes tried to look past them to where the females had been huddled together.
“The entire crew comes,” Tanin said simply. He wouldn’t leave them behind without protection. Only Alred was staying, as no one knew Alred existed, and while he could certainly protect them in the ship, he couldn’t force the docks to release them.
Well, he could. But it would be much more difficult and dangerous.
No. Better that the females stay with them. Where they could be watched and protected. There was no doubt in Vytln’s mind that they’d be safer among their number.
The captain was here. They would be fine. And Tanin wasn’t above letting someone else dictate things if it got him his way.
And there was no doubt that, whatever happened, Taninwouldhave his way.
