Chapter 5

5

Despite the unknown threats, the loss of the Harvest , and everything else that had happened, Loris had to admit things weren't all bad.

Against all odds, the autopilot had set them down in a decent location. In fact, it was downright scenic. The sky was a dazzling blue, and the foliage ranged from soft golds and umber to blazing shades of yellow, orange, and red.

The shuttle was stocked with plenty of prepackaged foods and a decent supply of recyclable water, and so far, none of them had seen any kind of wildlife that could be deemed dangerous.

Loris already knew that Maddison was resilient and had her own brand of quiet courage, but Joy Bashir proved herself to be an excellent and good-natured companion who was more than capable. No wonder the captain had put her in the shuttle with them.

They'd treated her concussion with some of the more advanced meds in the first aid kit and left the more minor injuries to heal on their own. She still had headaches, and one ankle was sprained badly enough she couldn't do much besides limp around the interior of the shuttle. She made up for her lack of mobility by doing most of the meal prep and answering their questions about what had happened to the Harvest before they'd arrived on the bridge.

Nothing she told them was good news. Not only did she confirm they were inside verexi space, but the ship hadn't only suffered a mechanical failure that knocked it out of hyperspace. Someone, most likely the verexi, had fired on the Bountiful Harvest . Entire sections of the ship had been exposed to the void, crippling her and ensuring they had no way to escape the gravity well of the planet.

They'd received no word from the Harvest since the incident. All they could do was hope the ship had managed to stay relatively intact on the way down so at least some of the passengers and crew had survived.

They'd spent some of their time together learning about Joy's blindness. The story was familiar enough. She'd lost her sight in an industrial accident caused by poor maintenance and a disregard for the safety of the workers. Her eyes looked natural enough Loris hadn't realized she was blind, especially since she acted like a sighted person. It turned out the headband she wore collected visual data and sent it to her visual cortex, allowing her to "see."

Joy hadn't said anything, but Loris suspected the headband had been damaged during the fight with Hooper, probably when Joy had struck her head on the deck. Joy could still see well enough to get by, and none of them had any chance of repairing the delicate medical device.

They'd set up a simple camp, and once that was done, they'd told stories and shared details of their lives. They couldn't do much else to pass the time while they waited for someone to respond to their rescue beacon. According to Joy, this planet was uninhabited.

As the sun dipped down toward the horizon, Loris and the others discovered that Joy was wrong.

Loris didn't know what sense had told her they weren't alone anymore, but when the feeling came, she'd reacted instantly. "Maddi, into the shuttle and lie down on the floor. You know the drill. Joy, stay where you are. I'm coming to you."

Maddison raced up the ramp, only slowing enough to step around Joy, who was in her usual spot by the shuttle door.

Loris rose from her place by their small campfire and joined Joy on the ramp, grabbing a pulse rifle for herself and handing a blaster to the woman now stretched out along the floor with most of her body out of the line of fire. For someone with limited experience, the woman had learned the basics with impressive speed.

Something big moved beyond the tree line, its true shape hidden in the shadows that formed as evening fell. When she finally saw it, she nearly put a hole in its chest out of instinct. Her finger was already tensed on the trigger when she registered that despite its size and bestial appearance, this was no wild animal. The new arrival walked on two legs and had human-like facial features, but she had no idea what species it was.

Golden fur with subtle color shifts that acted like natural camouflage covered his body. Dark stripes spanned his forehead from eyebrow to hairline, and long blond hair fell to his broad and damn impressive shoulders. Oh yes, this had to be a male.

He strode deeper into their camp, and Loris squeezed off a warning shot, sending a pulse of energy to slam into the ground at his feet. "That's far enough."

The big alien whatever-it-was stopped, but he didn't lower the blade he carried. Instead he gave her a long, slow look that made her stomach flip. Most of her was hidden behind the shuttle's hull, so why did she feel like he was mentally undressing her right now? He couldn't even see her. Could he?

Another male moved into view. This one had a blade in one hand and a spear in the other, and he was a slightly smaller than the first she'd seen. Both of them were clearly in their prime with hard bodies and predators' grace.

Gods save her. Was she ogling them? What the hell was wrong with her? With a mental head shake, she got back to the business at hand. "Do you understand me?"

"We do," one said. "We have translators. I'm Havoc." He tilted his head toward the larger male. "That's Vengeance. You must be from the Bountiful Harvest ."

She hissed in shock at the mention of the Harvest . "How the fuck does he know that?"

She didn't notice she had spoken aloud until Joy answered her. "Ask him."

It was a good suggestion, so she took it. "How do you know about the Harvest ?"

A third alien walked into the clearing. Unlike the others, he held his empty hands up and out to his sides. She noted that this one was clean-shaven, if that was even the right word to describe it. He was the only one of the trio without a neatly trimmed beard. Huh, the beastie boys must shave after all.

They all wore similar attire, too. Though there wasn't much to their fashion choices. A simple leather kilt hung from their hips, and they'd strapped what looked like hardened animal hides to their lower legs with some kind of homespun cord or leather thong.

The third one introduced himself. "I am Risk. We met one of the other survivors from your ship—a female named Hope."

Loris felt a flash of relief to hear there were other survivors, but she didn't let her feelings show. This situation was still far too fraught with danger for her to relax.

Joy spoke up. "She made it? Where is she?"

The spokesman for the group nodded once and then explained. "We saw her this morning. Her escape pod came down much closer to our home. She was rescued by one of our brothers. We were on our way to the main crash site to assist when we saw your shuttle."

Joy seemed satisfied because she made a show of putting down her weapon and moving her hands away from the stock. Loris wasn't happy about that, but she understood this was part of Joy's personality.

She sighed and nudged the other woman with her foot. "You can't help yourself. Can you? You don't have a single distrustful bone in your body. Pick up the weapon, Joy. It could be a trick."

Joy ignored her. Instead of being sensible, the woman asked another question.

"What else can you tell us? Were there other survivors? What about the Harvest ? Did it land safely or crash?"

Risk shifted his attention to Loris. Until then he'd been staring at Joy with an unsettling amount of interest. Male interest. The kind that made Loris tighten her grip on the rifle. There'd be none of that.

"Put down the weapon and we'll share what we know."

"You first," Loris said firmly.

The one who called himself Havoc stowed his weapons, and then both he and Risk turned to glower at their companion. He still had his sword in his hand and was giving her a cocky grin that made her want to shoot another warning shot just to make him jump.

His grin widened as if he knew what she was thinking, and she caught a glimpse of fangs behind his lips.

Fangs. Fur. Oh, and horns. She hadn't noticed the horns before, but now she couldn't stop staring at them. They swept up and back from his brow and curved around to a tapered point below his ears.

Like handles, some small, utterly mad part of her observed . I could climb him like a tree.

She barely registered the insane thought before the situation caught her attention again.

"For fuck's sake, Venge," Risk growled. "We talked about this."

"You talked. I wasn't listening," Vengeance said.

Joy giggled. Actually fucking giggled. Were they all losing their minds?

"You must be related. Only family bicker like that," Joy said.

Loris poked her with her toe again. "Stop laughing. We're trying to look intimidating."

"I think that ship has left orbit," Maddison said from her spot deeper inside the shuttle. Her friend managed to keep her voice steady, but there was no missing the edge to her words.

"We are clan-brothers," Havoc confirmed. Then he bared his fangs and snarled at the one they called Vengeance. "Disarm, brother. The hunt is over."

The hunt? Loris caught her breath. They'd said they were headed to the crash site to offer their assistance. Something told her these three hadn't told them the whole truth. They'd been on the hunt for something.

Her eyes narrowed. If they thought the three of them were prey to be tracked down and pounced on, they were going to be disappointed.

The cocky one held out one hand to her as he gracefully returned his blade to the scabbard on his back. "I am disarmed, little warrior. Now it's your turn."

She shot him her most intimidating glower and muttered, "Who does he think he's calling little?" Then it struck her that compared to Vengeance, she was almost petite. Okay, not really, but he was bigger than her by every metric she could think of.

He must have thought the same way because he thumped a fist to his broad chest and laughed. "You are small compared to me. Tiny, but fierce."

Loris lowered her weapon. It was time for a little trust. But only a little. "I think you just insulted me and complimented me in the same sentence. Call me Loris." She pointed down and then into the depths of the shuttle. "That's Joy, and Maddison is inside."

The three males roamed around the small camp, commenting to each other in low tones Loris couldn't quite make out. She got the sense they were assessing the situation. Risk kept looking over at the shuttle. Was he thinking about flying off with their only escape vehicle? Maybe, but it wasn't likely to happen. The ship's systems had shut down the moment they'd landed. They'd tried everything they could think of, but none of them knew how to unlock the controls, and they'd been afraid that anything they tried might lead to them damaging something important.

Eventually the three males wandered over to the campfire.

"If you want a place to sit, you'll have to find something yourselves," Joy said.

"Why are there only two spots to sit when there are three of you?" Risk asked.

"Because one of us is injured and can't move around easily," Loris explained.

To her surprise, all three looked concerned. "Is it serious? Can we do anything to help?" Havoc asked.

Vengeance looked her way, his golden eyes gleaming brightly in the light of the setting sun. "Is it you, little warrior? If it is, I will carry you to the fire and let you sit on my lap as we talk."

She stiffened. Why was he saying that crap? Was he mocking her? Or was this simply a cultural thing? Did he not realize his words could be taken as flirting? That had to be it because it had been more than a decade since anyone had dared to flirt with her, and that last time had been the result of a drunken bet.

She met his gaze and did her best to look unimpressed. Hopefully he'd get the message. "It's nothing serious, and it's not me. And I told you to stop calling me that. My name is Loris, not little warrior."

Vengeance shrugged, the simple motion making his arms and chest flex slightly. "Your name is pretty, but I like my name for you better. And even if you are not hurt, my offer to carry you stands."

Holy nukes and novas. He was flirting with her. She set her face into what she hoped was a stern expression, but her heart was racing as heat crept into her cheeks. The harder she tried to control it, the more flustered she got.

Damn the male to the void and back again. She wasn't interested. He was too young for her. Hell, they weren't even the same species. No. Just no.

Joy made a tiny sound that could have been a snicker, and Loris turned to glare at her. The professional matchmaker flashed her an innocent smile she didn't buy for an instant.

Well, shit .

Loris went off to find the solar-powered lanterns they'd found stashed with the rest of the emergency supplies. By the time she returned, the others were seated, and Maddison was handing out a selection of self-heating meal packs.

Soon most of them were seated by the fire while Joy stayed by the shuttle door. Risk kept glancing at Joy. Or maybe he was looking at the shuttle. She couldn't be sure.

Vengeance devoured his meal with gusto but also with surprisingly good table manners. Who were these males? Where were they from? Was this their home planet? She had so many questions, but they had more important matters to discuss first.

Havoc shared what he knew about the crash and the survivors. There was a lot he didn't know, but it was comforting to hear that Clarissa, Hope, and Bella had made it. All three women had been passengers on the matchmaking cruise, and while she didn't know any of them well, they'd seemed like decent sorts the few times they'd interacted.

Havoc confirmed that other members of their clan had already left for the crash site. They intended to care for any survivors and salvage what they could from the wreckage. Loris wasn't sure she liked the idea of Maddison's property being claimed by these aliens, but right now she couldn't do much about it.

The conversation had continued while she'd been distracted by thoughts of her own. They'd tossed several questions around, but the first one she fully heard was from Vengeance. His deep rumble of a voice was hard to miss.

"What made the ship crash at all?" he asked.

Loris answered him, "We had engine trouble, fell out of hyperspace, and were immediately attacked. At least, that's the impression I got when we reached the bridge."

All three males nodded.

"We were right. The scrawnies have this place well-guarded," Havoc said.

"Who are the scrawnies?" Maddison spoke for the first time.

"The verexi," Havoc clarified. "We have our own name for the scrawny bastards."

"They do that? Why?" Loris asked. She understood the verexi were territorial, but even considering their disdain for other species in general and humans in particular, they weren't normally so hostile.

Havoc nodded. "I'm certain of it. They don't want anyone coming here until they eradicate us."

"Eradicate you?" Loris had to stop herself from instinctively reaching for the weapon resting on the ground at her feet. "Why?"

Vengeance curled his top lip back to expose his fangs and then snorted. "Because we're a mistake they want to erase from existence. This is a prison planet, little warrior. We were sent here to die. We survived, and that's a problem for the scrawnies—one they want to correct."

Fuck. That was not what she wanted to hear. This would complicate any attempt to rescue them. While she considered the situation, the others kept talking.

"The verexi are still trying to kill you even though you can't leave this place?" Joy asked with a quaver in her normally steady voice.

"They are," Risk said grimly. "And if they find out you survived, they'll kill you, too."

Oh no. No. No. No. Loris was already rising from her seat by the time Joy called out to her, "We have to shut down the beacon and the radio. Right now!"

Loris made for the shuttle. It was standard practice to activate a distress beacon. Theirs had been running since shortly after they landed, along with a recorded message that went out every hour. Both were relatively short range, but anyone in the system should be able to detect it.

The three alien males stood up together, forming a wall of muscle. "You've had a beacon going all this time?" Risk asked.

Loris ignored the question. She was already running back to the shuttle.

Joy scrambled to her feet and leaned against the nearest wall so Loris could squeeze past her and reach the cockpit.

"Ship! Deactivate distress beacon and shut down all transmissions."

"This is not a recommended course of action," the ship replied.

"Fuck recommended action. Terminate the beacon. All crew are at risk so long as that signal is active."

They'd known that sending any kind of distress call was a calculated risk, but they'd all agreed it was worth taking the chance. Both she and Joy believed they must have been taken out by an automated defense system. It was still the most likely possibility, but now they had more information.

It felt like an agonizing eternity before the ship's computer announced deactivation was complete. Loris took another twenty seconds to confirm that no signals were being broadcast and then called out to the others, "Done!"

From somewhere outside, one of the males—she thought it was Risk—asked a question so loudly she heard it inside. "Can this ship fly?"

Joy said something in reply, probably explaining that the ship had locked them out of the flight controls immediately after landing. Loris had tried the codes the captain had shouted at her as they'd left, but either she'd misheard the sequence or the captain had gotten it wrong because they didn't work.

"…will stay," one of them said. "Shuttle… too valuable." She strained to hear.

"Bring Strife and Bysshe, if he's able. If I can't access the flight systems, maybe one of them can."

Havoc spoke next. "We'll take the females to safety and be back as soon as we can."

"Take the females? Don't you dare try it. I'm not going anywhere," she muttered and settled deeper into her seat.

"I should stay too." Vengeance almost growled the words. "They will come."

"No, the females need protection."

She missed whatever was said next, but Joy's response was loud and crystal clear.

"The females would like a say in what happens next. This isn't only your decision."

"Damn right it's not!" Loris shouted.

A moment later, Joy piped up. "Loris, you've got incoming."

She was almost certain she knew who was coming inside, and she was not taking any of his shit.

Maddison cried out, her voice tight but controlled, "Don't let him hurt her!"

Damn it. Maddi didn't need this. She'd been through enough already.

Loris swore the shuttle settled to one side when Vengeance stepped inside.

"I'm not going anywhere," she said, not even bothering to turn around.

"Yes, you are, little warrior."

She expected him to threaten her or use his massive size to intimidate her into doing what he said.

She was not prepared for him to catch her by both shoulders and lift her out of the chair. "What the hell? No! Put me down!"

"Put you down. Yes. But only if you behave." He set her on her feet in a smooth motion that seemed effortless. Nukes ‘n' novas, he was strong.

She caught hold of his forearm to push it away while giving him a piece of her mind, but the words turned to ash on her tongue. Heat washed through her, making her blood sizzle and her entire body ache with needs she hadn't acknowledged in years.

Instead of putting distance between them, she released his arm and set her hand in the center of the broad expanse of his chest. His fur was soft, his flesh warm, and she had to fight a sudden urge to move closer and press as much of her body as possible against his.

What was happening to her? Was she losing her mind? Doubtful, which meant it had to be something else. Something he was doing. Her anger rose, giving her enough of a jolt to regain some control.

She straightened her arm, using it to push herself a step back. "Stop it. Whatever weird whammy you're trying on me isn't going to work."

The look he gave her was hotter than a star. "I've done nothing."

To her shock, he reached out and gently, so gently, cupped her cheek in one callused hand. "Mine."

It took longer than she liked before she found the strength to swat his hand away. "Not yours. And not interested."

He grinned and scrunched his nose in obvious amusement. "Liar. I can smell your need, little warrior." The smug bastard licked his lips. "Delicious."

His words poured rocket fuel in the fire already blazing inside her. Her nipples tightened, and her clit swelled. Clamping her thighs together only made things worse, and within seconds her pussy was slick with proof of her desire.

"We are not having this conversation. I said no."

He growled softly, his golden gaze piercing her down to her soul. "And I said mine ."

The word made her tremble but not out of fear. Still, she took another step back, cramming herself against the wall of the cockpit.

He caught her by one wrist and pulled with irresistible strength. She stumbled forward. He was so strong he could have broken her arm, but he managed his strength, only using enough to make her comply without injuring her in the process.

"Bully," she said.

"We don't have time for this right now. Later, you and I will play this game." Without another word, he gathered her into his arms and then slung her over one shoulder. She pummeled his back with both hands, but he ignored her. When she tried to kick, he planted one hand firmly on her upturned ass and used his other arm to restrain her legs.

There was no such thing as dignity during a fight, but Loris still felt foolish as he carried her outside. Despite the fact his shoulder dug into her stomach, and it wasn't easy to breathe while upside down, she didn't stop smacking his back or cursing in every language she knew.

They were still on the ramp when he called out to the others. "This one is mine."

This again? She filled her lungs and bellowed. "The hell I am! Put. Me. Down!"

She only quieted when Havoc moved toward Maddison, who was still seated. "I guess this means you're with me."

Maddison went pale. "What? No! I'm not with anyone. I mean, I wasn't on this cruise looking for a mate. I own the Harvest . That's all."

Loris struggled harder against Vengeance's hold. She was Maddison's bodyguard. No way could she let this happen. Maddison was her friend, and Joy…

Loris scanned the area quickly and spotted Joy near the campfire. When had she left the door of the shuttle? And why was she currently sitting in Risk's lap looking dazed and entirely unconcerned?

Was this whammy thing contagious?

Havoc moved over to Maddison. Loris tensed, terrified for her friend, but the big male moved with care as he crouched down in front of Maddi, his hands lifted and palms turned upward.

"You aren't safe here. None of us are. We need to leave before the scrawnies send someone to investigate."

Loris went still so she could hear better. The alien was speaking in calm, firm tones. He wanted to convince Maddi, not force her.

Apparently, Loris had wound up with the arrogant one. Wonderful .

"But what if it's a rescue party?" Joy asked.

She wriggled but not too much. "Put me down. Please," Loris said.

Vengeance did as she asked. Once she was on her feet, she turned to face her employer. As much as she hated this entire situation, the damned aliens weren't wrong about the danger.

"No one is coming to rescue us, Maddison. We're deep in verexi territory. I don't know how we got here or what went wrong, but we need to make the best of it."

A strong arm wrapped possessively around her waist. She turned and glared back at Vengeance. "And no, that was not me agreeing to anything. I'm simply being practical."

The smug son-of-a-beast grinned and tightened his hold on her. "You do that. I am patient. Eventually you'll see I am right." His voice dropped to a low growl. "You are mine."

Risk whispered something to Joy, who flushed slightly, but her lips quirked into a brief smile.

"Joy is injured and cannot walk, so she will stay with me," Risk announced.

"But what about the verexi?" Maddison asked, still looking uncertain. "You said it wasn't safe to stay here."

"The ship is too valuable to leave behind. I will keep it and Joy safe," Risk said firmly.

Havoc spoke next, "Maddison and Loris. You have five minutes to pack food, water, and clothing. Then we must go."

Was their entire species this annoyingly bossy? Stars above, she hoped not. She caught Maddi's eye and flashed her a series of hand signals. One for reassurance. Another for caution. The last were reminders to keep at least one weapon hidden on her person at all times and to take care of herself.

It sucked harder than a black hole, but what else could they do? Staying with Joy and the shuttle would only risk more lives.

Loris hurried to the far side of the shuttle to the emergency shelter and their stash of supplies. It was time to go.