Chapter Thirteen

BinjaOB

Wrapping his body around Tanny, he willed her to rest. To heal. Knowing what happened to her sister had broken his extremely strong mate's heart. Binja sighed with relief when she eventually stopped crying and tumbled into sleep.

He stayed beside her, counting her breaths. Willing to do anything for her.

Binja thought about contacting the DoMicile. One of his brothers could take a portable communication device into the cryo room on the ship. It would allow Tanner to see her sister. Maybe that would help. Except—he wasn't sure. It might be better to wait, to let his mate ask the questions she wanted answered. When someone was in the cryo tube they slept, but their breathing was very slow. They didn't move. Or look alive. Not really. Their bodies were suspended in time.

The more he thought about it, the less he liked the idea. His mate wasn't used to cryogenic technology. It could make her feel worse. He discarded the idea for now. Maybe he would ask Catalina or one of the other Earth women what she thought before he suggested it.

Several of his brothers contacted him mentally and offered to kill the Andaran for him. He asked them to wait. Unsure what his mate would want when she awoke.

He held her for several hours. Wanting to surround her with his warmth. His presence. Binja didn't have a lot of things to give his mate. But he wanted her to know that she would always have his support.

Binja lifted his head when his door opened just a tiny bit. He frowned until he saw it was Captain BaOBy holding Mama C. Bao nodded at him and shoved the small pimat through the door, setting her on the floor. His captain withdrew just as quickly, securing the door so the feline couldn't escape.

Mama C jumped on the bed and immediately settled beside Tanny. His mate curled her body around the cat without waking.

That was something else Binja could give Tanner. She'd been alone for months. Without her sister, or anything familiar surrounding her. He came with a ready-made family. With nineteen brothers, three new sisters, and one of the most well-equipped spaceships that made the perfect home for her cats.

Looking around his cabin, Binja considered the room he picked when they moved to this ship. Thinking he didn't require much space, he'd chosen one of the smaller cabins with a bed, a dresser, and a small bathroom that had an even smaller shower. He knew there were much larger rooms on the Astro Stealth Cruiser 3000.

Knowing that his brothers had taken this technologically advanced spaceship away from the Andaran always made him feel proud. Knowing how furious Jacanas would be when he discovered the ship was no longer where he left it, made him smile. That knowledge would make his mate happy as well. When she felt better, Binja would take her to look at some of the suites, or even a family unit. In that small way, she could share in the joy of having bested her enemy.

Binja decided she needed to be reminded that they were winning.

A few minutes later, he felt Tanny's breathing change. She moved her hand out to pet Mama C and sighed. "I think my meltdown is over."

He smiled against the back of her head, and rubbed his jaw against her scalp, tangling her soft hair in his trim beard. "I would hold you longer if it isn't. It is important you know you aren't alone anymore, Tanny. You will have me at your back." Binja paused, hugged her tight in his arms, then sighed, "Or standing as your shield if needed. And I am never alone. I have nineteen brothers and a handful of new sisters that will always be with us."

Carefully, so she wouldn't disturb the cat, she turned to face him. The area surrounding her amazing green eyes was a little swollen from all the tears, but they were now clear. Binja loved all the colors of light and dark in her hair. He smoothed his hand from her forehead, back to push the tangled mass away from her face.

"As I kept watch over you, I thought of two things that should make you feel a little better. Would you like to hear them?"

Tanny tried to smile, but Binja realized it didn't reach her eyes.

"Yes. I'd like to feel better."

"This spaceship is an Astro Stealth Cruiser 3000. There are only three in existence at this time. You heard my brothers' mates tell us they named our new home Paradise. My translator explained this word to me. This ship truly is one. Everything onboard is state-of-the-art. Including the med-bay, transportation area, and communication system. It takes half the time to get from point A to point B as our old ship, the DoMicile. The navigation deck has every technological feature available. Our security system not only provides cloaking for this ship, but it can track any other ship out there… regardless if the ship is visible or not. The only spacecraft we can't track is another ASC 3000. That means we can hide from everyone, but they can't hide from us. The ship has enough room to house hundreds, yet it takes only a few to fly. It has several floors of crew bedrooms that can be configured into extensive suites or family units. When you are ready, we'll pick something larger. The kitchen is modern and offers every convenience, including high-end replicators designed to mimic the food from any planet. There is even a hydroponic garden on one level. But the best thing about this ship—is that it used to be the Andaran's."

Tanny's eyebrows shot up and one side of her mouth tilted upward.

Binja was sure he could get a bigger smile. "With Catalina's help, my brothers found his private spaceport. Jacanas filled it with many types of vehicles, including hovers, smaller ships, and the ASC 3000… his pride and joy. He kept it outfitted with enough money and supplies so that when the time came, he could escape Viant in style. I don't believe Jacanas realizes his getaway ship is missing."

Snorting, Tanny's lips now formed a full-blown smile.

Binja didn't stop there. "The brothers stripped the spaceport of everything we might need, including this ship. Then they made sure he couldn't use any of the other vehicles in the spaceport. Once that was done, they installed cameras. So, when Jacanas decides he wants to leave Viant, we get to see his reaction after he discovers his very expensive spaceship is missing." He hesitated only a beat before adding, "Just as we filled the house in Viant with monitors. That way we could all watch the Andaran's breakdown when he realized it was empty, and even his guards had disappeared."

Her brows furrowed and Binja resisted the temptation to smooth them with his finger. Seconds later, Tanner's eyes widened and a giggle bubbled up… making him smile. She figured it out.

"You filmed his reaction?" she asked.

He nodded.

"I want to see that. But first, explain the difference in travel time for this ship and the one my sister's on. The DoMicile? You said something about meeting that ship before they arrived at the other planet. I can't remember the name."

Her brows furrowed again, and this time he didn't resist rubbing the frown away while he explained. "The other planet is Megoth. The DoMicile is smaller than this ship. It uses older technology and will take much longer to travel the distance than it will take the Paradise ," he confirmed.

Tanner pushed on his chest. "I need to sit up. Binja, I want to know exactly how much time we have before we need to leave in order to catch my sister before she gets to Megoth."

Binja moved, untangling their bodies so they could sit on the edge of the bed. He faced his mate before he spoke. "It will take the DoMicile two months to get to Megoth. They left three days ago. The Astro Stealth 3000 can cover the same distance in half the time, so at a minimum, we have twenty-seven days before we need to leave."

She nodded and looked thoughtful. "What if I told you I want to take everything from the Andaran? To make him realize he is losing it all, before making him pay for what he did to Candy, to Catalina, and the additional two women in that house." She shuddered. "For what he's done to countless others. And I don't want to stop there. After he realizes what is happening, I want him dead. Then I want to make sure I'm with Candy when they reach Megoth." Tanny stared at him as if waiting for Binja to protest.

He raised his eyebrows and felt joy infuse his soul. Tanner was the perfect match for him. He thanked every god and goddess he could think of just in case they had a hand in giving him this mate. "Then I would say we have a lot to do this morning. Starting with a shower and food, ending at a meeting with my brothers and their mates. I'll let them know we want to plan a war that must end within twenty-seven days."

She grinned at him. "Let's make it twenty-five. Just in case we have an issue in space." Tanny frowned. "I really don't know what kind of issue that could be. It's not like we can get a flat tire. Or run out of solar charge. Can we? No." She held up her hand. "Don't answer that question. I do not need something else to worry about."

Binja could tell her the primary worry during space travel was pirates. But that was a discussion for another day. Right now, he wanted to see if they could fit in the shower together.