“In the words of my good friend, Sa’Tai, ‘Fight well. Love hard. Make peace.’ Let’s get this done. We wantMesannokin our custody tonight and the Nebs retreating to their galaxy. Keep Mindor and Alpha Prime safe, and we might just get what we need to finally begin to win instead of always playing defense.”
A human in inky Amphiran space armor lets out a guttural yell, “Huah!”
Amphirans in the cargo bay, hundreds of them, give a resoundinghuahin response that echoes with power along the metal hangar walls. When the man tilts and kisses Eluni on the cheek, I’m certain it’s her mate and Jovie’s friend, Talros, who served on Terran forces, years before I did.
Aura gets down from the crate he’s on and half-jogs, half-walks over to us. “Jorusk, my fiery brother!”
He hugs me firmly and pats my back. “Watched what I could of the race.”
Aura steps back and grins down at Brynna. “I was impressed the first time I saw your agricultural ship. But now I know you can take the heat, too.”
“Yes, sir.” Brynna still hasn’t let go of me.
Aura hangs his head. “But I would like you to stay here with Eluni and the other females. I cannot bear the idea of a possiblypregnant female dying in battle. Without a way to test, I must ask that…”
“It’s okay,” Brynna says. “I know. I comply.”
He sighs. “Thank you. Now where is that damned gruntpa when you need him?”
“Right here,” Fieri growls from behind us. “Blaize, too.”
A familiar Amphiran with a beard grins at me. “Jorusk. You’ve started many fires since we last worked together.”
“Yeah, he has,” Brynna mutters. She cranes up and kisses my chin. “Come back to me.”
Then she slaps my ass and hurries off to where Eluni waves and the females group up.
Sidius punches Fieri in the shoulder. “Cinuska asked if you were still fuming.”
He scowls at my brother. “I am always fuming. What does that female want?”
I glance back at him with a waggle of my brows. “I told you.”
He squirms and looks away. “We are not compatible.”
Aura chuckles. “I beg to differ. But we all have to get through this first. Your transport is landing now. They will take you to your drop site. You’re going to be offline, your backup pod in stasis.
“Stalk, leach, breach,” Sidius says. “Got it.”
A passing Thorian female in a star suit with a fur draped over a shoulder growls in lust and gives Fieri a once-over.
His brows knit as he looks over at her, then refocuses on the group. We’re all staring at him. “What?”
Blaize snorts a laugh. “Yeah, what the fuck, man?”
“I don’t know! Did you draw on my armor again, Blaize?” Fieri spins around, trying to check his back plate as our transport lowers the ramp.
I smear the symbol with my hand. “Down to mate.”
“Oh, you have to be kidding me!” Fieri chases Blaze onto the transport. “Come here, you little fucker!”
Aura walks with the rest of my team to the ramp. “I will be with Squad Twenty-Five, out by Alpha Prime. Call if you need anything. I will help where I can.”
“Same goes for you, brother.” I extend a fist. “And thank you again for DIA and…”
“Don’t mention it." Aura grins. “I was right to trust you years ago. Call us even.”
I watch as he walks off, kisses Jovie goodbye, and then hikes into a different transport. Beside her is Zariah, in a high-tech armored suit, the kind I wish Brynna had. Zariah’s mate, Elix, the one with green skin and the serum that saved Brynna’s life, nuzzles Zariah’s face and hustles after Aura.
