Page 54 of Dragon Me Through Space

“Not you,” I said with a chuckle and shook my head. “I’m talking to myself.”

Scout made a soft beep and went silent again.

I made my way to the main deck and sat in the captain’s chair, Preston’s chair. After snooping for a bit through their files, I came up with absolutely no clues as to what item they could be searching for.

What could be so important that they wouldn’t even have files on their ship about it? Was it like my necklace?

No, they didn’t wear any jewelry.

I made my way back to the jungle room and sat at the table, working on the second bracelet I’d started. My first one wasn’t very good, but my second one was looking much better. The more I practiced, the better it got. I knew I wanted to at least make one for Wayne as a gift, but part of me also wanted to make one for each of them. I knew it was a mate thing, and I wasn’t certain I was their mate, but I thought it would be a nice gift for them to keep even if we did part ways. Something for them to remember me by.

They had their own quirks and issues, which were drawing me to them even more. Being with them made me feel safe. Something I’d longed for throughout my entire life.

“You think they really have a sex slave on board?” an unfamiliar male voice asked.

“Scout,” I whispered.

Scout chirped softly and zipped out of the room, headed towards the direction the voice had come from.

I quickly hid among the bushes, trying to squat down as low as I could to avoid detection.

Scout’s surveillance came on, showing me two men in Exostalon royal guard uniforms.

Frak.

Had the guys sold me out? Had they sent these men to collect me while they collected their payment?

Half of me thought that was the case, while the other half argued that they wouldn’t have treated me the way they did the past week if they were just going to sell me.

Right? They hadn’t been lying and playing me this whole time, had they? They hadn’t just been placating me until we reached Exostalon?

Reaching into my pocket, I put the communication device into my ear. As soon as I did, their shouts of pain were all I heard.

Had they been captured and the information about me tortured out of them?

The guards were closing in on the door to the jungle room, but I didn’t want to lock myself in here. I needed to get to the guys. The sounds of their pain enraged me.

“Scout, check the back door,” I ordered.

Scout zipped away from the Exostalon guards and around to the other door into the room. The path was clear, so I quickly and quietly ran out that door, just as the guards entered the jungle room.

Thankfully, they didn’t see me due to all of the thick foliage.

Running down the hallway, I followed the map in my display to the emergency exit hatch instead of the ramp. Knowing the Exostalon royals, they likely had a few guards stationed on the ramp to try to prevent someone from sneaking out.

“What’s going on?” I asked the guys quietly.

“Hide,” Gage ordered me. “Hide.”

“Guards captured us,” Wayne panted. “Can’t shift.”

“How did they capture you?” I asked. “How did they know I’m with you?”

All four cried out in pain again without replying.

“Where are you?” I demanded.

“Throne room,” Wayne answered.