Page 11 of Stolen By the Alien Mercenary

Well, that was heartening to hear. Not. It made me feel even more icky considering all the glances and stares we were getting. “Should we visit Thar’oc’s bar? I heard he’s opened it already…” Tas suggested, eagerly nodding down the alley into the dark. That did not sound like a good idea. The last I wanted was to visit some grimy bar on this station just to get more stares. I wanted to return to the ship where I felt safe, and then I wanted to convince Dravion to take me to see Mitnick, Nick. Whatever he called himself, the winged guy that had rescued me, twice.

“Oh, isn’t that the sharpshooter that left the Varakartoom the day I snuck aboard it? He’s got a human mate, hasn’t he?” Mandy punched our green-skinned guard on the arm and nodded. “Yeah, let’s go see them. Does that sound okay to you, Harper? I’ve been dying to hear from this girl Rikki. See how she’s getting on, mated to a mercenary like I am.”

I froze, my breath stalling in my lungs when I realized all eyes were on me. They were waiting for me to make the decision, and while I appreciated that I was getting a say, I didn’t really feel like I could say no. I suppose it wasn’t a bad idea to speak to another human lady and see how she was faring out here. I was just feeling antsy about getting back.

My curiosity was kindled when I caught sight of the bar. A big yellow and gold sign was already up, declaring it ‘Rikki’s Bar.’ This Thar’oc was very obvious in his affection for his mate; it made me smile. The interior was big but cozy, with a large wooden bar running down one wall and many red leather booths for more private parties. For a place that was newly opened, it was hopping, but Thar’oc instantly cleared a table for us.

The male was a Kertinal, one of the more common species in the Zeta Quadrant. Huge, with black skin that was crisscrossed with many bright blue lines, like lightning strikes. He had a set of antelope horns rising proudly from his forehead, the twisting spirals bearing a dozen carved notches each. I was dying to find out if that was just decorative or had a deeper meaning. He also had a tail with a spade-shaped tip that twitched and swished; it was constantly in motion. Unless his mate was standing next to him. Then he curled it around her waist, her arm, or even her thigh.

Rikki joined us for lunch, while our guards took up spots at the bar to give us some privacy. Mandy leveled many questions at her, and I listened, but my heart wasn’t in this. Maybe I was getting tired, but I kept glancing at my tablet, hoping to see if I had a message. I was relieved when lunch was over and Mandy and Rikki headed for the restroom. That left me alone with my thoughts and I decided I was really, really done moping. I was a girl of action, and I was going to start taking it.

Sliding out of the booth, I pretended I didn’t see a pair of aliens in the corner giving me interested glances. I held my chin high as I strode to Tas, the younger of our two guards, and the least intimidating one. He was sitting alone, as Jaxin and Thar’oc had huddled at the other end of the bar to discuss something. It was the perfect opportunity.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” I said to the male, popping my hip against the wooden bar and leaning on my elbow. It wasn’t exactly a seductive pose; I didn’t really want to give him the wrong idea, but I was close enough to catch his attention. When he shot upright, his entire posture going stiff, I knew I’d caught him off guard.

“Ah… Okay? What do you want to know, ma’am?” he asked, his voice dropping low. He had a soft edge to his tone that evoked thoughts of the wind rustling through leaves, of branches swaying. That might be his oddly plant-like hair, and the emerald hue of his skin though, rather than his tone. I wanted to chuckle at being addressed as ma’am. I was twenty-two, I had only ever been Miss if someone tried to be formal.

“Please, just Harper,” I started, shook my head, and went for it. Sometimes catching them by surprise worked best, and this guy seemed nervous to talk to me; I could use that. “Tell me how Mitnick is doing. Is he all right? When will they let him out?”

Tas’s cheeks went a darker green, and golden spots flared to life around his temples. He swallowed roughly, glanced over his shoulder to where Jaxin and Thar’oc were still muttering together, then met my eyes again. “In the brig. I don’t like it any more than you do, you know. If I found my mate, I’d be as eager to be with her as he is.”

Again about the mate thing, crucial information that I’d only learned yesterday thanks to the grumpy, and very secretive chef on the ship. Knowing that some guy I barely knew had rescued me and then hidden me because he thought I was his fated one… It still boggled my mind to the point I couldn’t quite grasp that to be true. But I was always one to trust my gut, and my gut kept telling me that I should trust Nick, that he was the one person on the ship who would always be on my side.

When I cocked my head and flapped my hand to urge him to keep talking, Tas rushed to add: “Because he messed with the force field and the screens before, they manacled him. I mean, Aramon and I did that, but I didn’t want to do it. You’ve gotta believe me.” He shook his head and now it was his hair that made a rustling noise; it seemed to me like the strands unfurled. It reminded me of a plant I’d once seen that would fold its leaves shut when you touched it. Only his hair was doing the opposite.

Shocked, I didn’t really know what to say to this news, and my staring was making the guy even more uncomfortable. Manacled? They had cuffed his hands so he couldn’t mess with the ship’s electronics anymore? No wonder I had been going without a single message since the incident in the med bay. He couldn’t reach me if he wanted to.

I didn’t know what I was going to do until Mandy reached my side with a refreshed, cheerful look on her face. Jaxin had also finished his conversation and strode up to us with a scowl on his sharkish face, the perfect contrast to Mandy’s smile. “Ready to go?” he asked, his fingers tapping against the ridiculous weapon he cradled against his chest like it was a baby.

My body jerked upright, shoulders squaring, and the words flew from my mouth uncensored. “Yes, we are leaving now. And you are taking me to the fucking brig, this fucking instant. I’m done with this shit! Nobody gets to tell me what’s good for me except me, and what I want is to see Nick right now!”

The whole bar fell silent, patrons gaping at me and my guards staring. Then Thar’oc thumped a fist on the bar, his tail swishing wildly until his mate, Rikki, snatched it out of the air. “Well said, little human. Go help our Mitnick. Go!” he swung a big fist, finger jabbing against Jaxin’s shoulder. “You heard her. Go!”

And just like that, the shark guy gave me a small nod and turned on his heel to lead the way.

Chapter 8

Mitnick

My arms were numb from the awkward position, but I didn’t bother to shift. The pain didn’t matter, not the physical aches anyway. The separation was making my head spin, my hearts race, and my breathing was growing rapid, too rapid. I needed to know how Harper was doing, I needed to know she was safe. I’d been all right until a few hours ago, restless, but certain she was safe aboard the Varakartoom. Then I’d heard the ship dock and I couldn’t shake my worry that something bad was about to happen.

I growled, fighting against the manacles around my wrists, and ignoring the bite of pain as the metal cut into my skin. The doctor had healed my broken knuckles yesterday, but he’d have more work to do today. A rational part of me knew this self-destructive behavior wasn’t helping, but the longer I received no word, the smaller that part of me grew.

“Where is she!?” I shouted. Surging forward, I slammed my shoulder into the humming force field. My body tingled from the mild shock, but it was not enough of a deterrent to do it again, and again. “Let me out! She’s in danger! I know it!” I growled, slamming forward over and over. When Asmoded slithered into the brig, I had just enough presence of mind to jerk back and watch him, freezing in place just in front of the invisible barrier that kept me locked up.

“Where is Harper?” I demanded to know, my sharp eyes roving his face to gauge his expression. Did his eyes narrow? Or was that just my imagination? The captain’s scaly face was proud and always impassive. Often he wore a hint of a scowl, but today it wasn’t just a hint.

“You are not helping yourself, Mitnick. How can I trust you to do right by her, to not be a complete menace to the ship? You’ve been attacking a force field!” He slashed his hand through the air and my eyes, adapted to spot prey from great distances, instinctively tracked that movement. He was pointing at the control panel but it was meaningless; without my hands, I could do nothing.

I bared my teeth at him, a vicious growl rattling from my chest. “You separated us! This is your fault.” Had I been in my right mind, I would not say such words, but I wasn’t. My worry for Harper was all-consuming; it clouded my mind so there was nothing left but the desire to find her. She was in danger, I knew it with both my pounding hearts. Some voice at the back of my mind niggled with a fresh worry, but that worry was easily squashed. This continued heightened state of battle readiness could kill me. It would, if this went on even longer.

My wings fluttered, but they felt heavy, dragging me down. Thumping my head against the force field, I let the light tingle of pain anchor me to the present. “Where is she? I need to know! She’s in danger, Asmoded. I have to protect her.”

He shook his head. “She is safe. Jaxin and Tas are protecting her. She is with Mandy. You know I would never leave my own mate unprotected. They are just ‘shopping’ on Strewn. Don’t you want your mate to have nice things?” My head spun at those words, my vision narrowing to pinpricks of darkness. She was on Strewn?

I roared, leaping toward the only opponent I could see in this room, and collided with the barrier that separated us. Wings slashing, I fought against my bindings, lost to a rage I had no hope of ever finding my way out of. She was in danger. He had put her in harm’s way! My only thoughts were about fighting, about breaking out, and about finding her.

I did not notice when Asmoded left with a frustrated hiss, I did not notice how he spoke through his com device to the doctor either. It wasn’t until footsteps thudded into the brig again that I became aware of anything at all.