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He took in the crew, each a hulking mass of muscle and alien features. Ryke, scarred and battle-worn, towered at just under seven feet. Rann was just as tall but lean with a whipcord strength to his frame. Anson’ske’lathglowed under his skin as he looked up, the B’Kaar obviously uplinking to the ship’s mainframe as he analyzed the battle data in front of them.
Even Davis, their token human, dwarfed his Earth-born kin. Covak’s own reflection in the viewscreen caught his eye—all fangs, claws, and Vorrtan size and strength. They were freaks compared to humans, every last one of them, and would probably scare the piss out of any human doctor.
Davis cleared his throat. “I might have a contact who could get us access to a medical center,” he said, his expression thoughtful. “Leave it to me.”
Before anyone could reply, a blood-curdling scream ripped through the ship’s intercom. A female voice, raw and terrified, echoed off the metal walls.
Jesh.
His heart slammed against his ribs as he bolted for the door.
He could only pray he wasn’t already too late.
Covak’sheart thundered in his chest as he raced through the ship. The familiar corridors became nothing more than a blur, the usual hum of engines reduced to white noise beneath the roar of blood in his ears.
He reached the first ladder and, without breaking stride, clamped his booted feet on its sides. The metal groaned as he slid down, friction heating the soles of his boots. One deck, two decks, three—he slammed into the floor as he landed, the impact reverberating through the ship like a small earthquake.He barely noticed, already moving again, his powerful frame propelling him forward with single-minded determination.
Skidding around the final corner, he nearly collided with the medbay door in his haste. The door, usually swift to open, now seemed to move with agonizing slowness. He could hear Jesh on the other side of it, each terrified sound piercing his heart like a plasma bolt.
“Come on, come on,” he growled, his deep voice rumbling in his chest as he willed the door to open faster. How had he never noticed how frexxing slow this thing was before? It felt like an eternity passed before the opening was wide enough for him to squeeze through, the edge of the door scraping against his broad shoulders and chest as he forced his way in.
Jesh thrashed wildly on the bed, her lithe form tangled in the sheets. Terror contorted her face into a grotesque mask. Her cries, no longer muffled, assaulted his ears. Each panicked gasp and whimper cut deep, slicing through to his core.
A primal instinct, as old as his species itself, roared to life within him.Protect. Comfort. Soothe.Overriding all rational thought, it drove him across the room in a heartbeat, and he hauled her into his arms.
For a split second—a mere heartbeat in time—he held her. Her smaller form fit against his chest as if she had been made to be there, her warmth seeping through the thin material of her medical gown and into his skin. A sense of rightness filled him, so complete that it rocked him down to his soul.
In that moment, the doubts and uncertainties he’d hidden all his life evaporated. He wasn’t a misfit… the sole Vorrtan who didn’t know his place, who couldn’t fit into his own society. The feeling of being the perpetual outsider vanished, replaced by a sense of belonging he’d never known. With her in his arms, he fit somewhere, at last. He’d never been destined to be somewarlady’s fourth or fifth husband. He’d been destined to be right here, holding her?—
Her eyes snapped open, confusion in their grey depths. Before he could react, she shoved him away.
Her fist connected with his jaw, the impact resonating through his skull like a shockwave. The blow took him off his feet. He flew across the room like a leaf in a gale, slamming into a row of metal cabinets. Instruments clattered, and medical supplies showered down around him as he crashed onto his backside.
Dazed, he shook his head to clear the ringing in his ears. The taste of copper filled his mouth. Frexx, he’d bitten his tongue. How embarrassing.
He’d been hit before. A lot. Growing up with six brothers and a sister destined to become a warlady had ensured that. Vorrtan society was rough and tumble, preparing its younglings for the harsh realities of life from an early age. But he had never met anyone who could literally knock him across a room and onto his arse before.
His vision cleared, and he became aware of movement at the medbay entrance. His teammates stood in the doorway, their mouths open wide in surprise.
Embarrassment flooded through him, burning his cheeks. He’d been knocked on his ass by a tiny female in front of his entire team. But as he saw them start to move toward her, all thoughts of his wounded pride vanished.
In an instant, he was on his feet, positioning himself between Jesh and his team. His fangs elongated into razor-sharp points, even his tusks coming into play as his claws extended, glinting dangerously in the medbay’s harsh lighting. A low, rumbling growl built in his chest, vibrating through the air with deadly menace.
“Mine,” he snarled, the single word carrying the weight of untold generations of instinct.
His crewmates froze, watching him, but no one took a step further. Good, he would tear them apart if they threatened her.
“Where am I?” The confused voice from behind him cut through the tension like a laser through tri-steel. He whipped his head around, his protective instincts warring with his desire to comfort her.
Jesh sat up in the bed, her dark hair a tangled mess around her face and her grey eyes wide and uncertain as they darted around the unfamiliar surroundings.
The fear and panic from moments ago was replaced with wariness.
“Out,” he bellowed at his teammates, not taking his eyes off her. He heard them shuffle out, the medbay door sliding shut behind them with a soft hiss. Only then did he allow his posture to relax, his claws and fangs retracting as he turned to face her fully.
“Hi,” he said, suddenly feeling awkward and unsure. He had no idea how much she actually remembered. So how the hell did he tell a newly awakened cyborg she was on a mercenary ship after a rescue from a secret facility?
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