I need ale wine.
Without a word, but with plenty of glaring, I snatch a goblet from the table and fill it up, downing the contents in a single gulp.
“You are aware that during the rut, you are particularly susceptible to narcotics, aren’t you?” Dante says, sidling up next to me.
“I know everything about the rut,” I growl at him. “More than you ever will.”
Dante takes a step away from me, refilling his goblet but not allowing his eyes to leave me.
As well he should. I’m dangerous at the best of times and he knows it. They all know it. I might not have any warriors here, but I don’t need them.
“Whatever you’re planning, Dalox,” Dexx growls, keeping his voice low, “if it might hurt my mate, I will stop you.”
I give him a brief snarl. Dexx, along with Darax and Dante, have been recovering since the cure to the mutations they have all suffered from has taken effect. It hasn’t improved Dexx’s mood, however.
Nor has it stopped Dante delighting in his weaponry or Darax making credits wherever he goes.
“The rut is an interesting phenomenon,” Driok says, stood to one side. “We all think we know what it means, and yet none of us really know what it is like until it hits.”
I give him the benefit of my gaze, the one filled with fire.
“The rut is not a mystery to me.”
“But the human females are,” Dexx says. “They are a mystery to all of us, and your mate wants to take them away.”
“She wishes to be sure they want to stay,” I growl. “It is a very different thing.”
I edge between the warlords and the females. None of them would dare to touch my female.
“Once she is sure they are staying, I am taking her back to her planet.”
“You’re leaving Vorostor?” Dante queries.
“Now the Ulep are no more and we have control of the wormholes, there is no reason to stay,” I respond. “If it is what she wants, then I will take her, and we will make sarkarnlings on her planet.”
Darax rubs at his chin, his claws extended. “And who will take your place?”
“Whether I am replaced or not is none of my concern,” I respond. “It is what my mate wants which interests me most.”
“Your final act,” Dexx growls.
I glare at him, but he holds my gaze. Dexx has always challenged me and today is no exception.
“My final act is to give you what you all wanted.” I square my shoulders. “Your freedom.”
GILLIAN
“It seems a bit tense over there.” I check over my shoulder at what Dalox is doing.
After our initial misunderstanding, I’ve been introduced to everyone, and their babies, as well as which Sarkarnii’s they are mated with. It’s more complicated than I thought it would be.
“It’s never easy when they’re all together. Too many competing interests.” Scarlett sighs. “They do sort of get on, most of the time.”
“They’re more like family than they care to admit,” Kerra says as her Sarkarnii baby settles against her and his eyelids droop. “Their entire society is built on family.”
“So, what happened?”
“Vorostor,” Rosalie says. “Or rather they were pulled through a wormhole by mistake and ended up here.”
