9 Kikila

I'm in no position to bargain. The Novark before me is a bounty hunter. I've been collected as a prize someone has paid a lot of money for. I know by the strap across his body with the metal adornments. He has claimed many heads.

If it wasn't for the short coat of quills all over their bodies, they would look the closest to human of all the species in our neighboring galaxies. Tan quills, round irises, and similar humanoid structure and size. But they are not welcome because they are short tempered and don't respect the laws.

He parks us inside another ship, lowers the ramp, and picks me up by a wrist.

I twist, try to knee him, or kick him, anything to be free. But he takes a fistful of my uniform, shoves me back against the hull of the transport, and grabs me by the throat.

"You are only alive because my client wants you alive," he says in Varek.

I can't turn my head to look at him with the way his fingers hold me back. "Kli tanneu savba unashell." I must be important.

Surprise fills his eyes then slips away as quickly. "He said you were smart," he replies in English.

So the one who wants me is male.

"You killed three of my brothers. I want to know how."

"I didn't kill them. I incapacitated them."

"I was told you decapitated them."

I brace the weight of my body on his arm. His skin stings. "They invaded, but I have no interest in killing."

"How?"

When I don't answer, he lifts me until my feet scrape the floor.

"Tell me how or I put you to sleep until you are needed."

"Taser darts," I choke out.

He snorts and looks away then back at me. "Are you shitting me?"

"They're special," I waggle my brows. "I designed them to penetrate all skin types."

He walks to a room attached to the hangar and tosses me inside. "You shut the fuck up. Or I will give you a reason to be quiet."

The Novark pulls a large handle from the side of his uniform and flicks it to the side. A rope of a hundred barbed tines unfurls from it.

He grins. "And no one gives a shit what I do to your body when it's cold. You're worthless then. Might be an accident. "

I glare at him when he closes the door and stalks up toward the cockpit.

I wager I'm being taken to someone who is upset by the new shield tech bill. But why anyone would care enough to hunt me down is baffling. And why go to the effort of stealing me from Abr? Unless they can't get into Terran territory—or they don't want to be seen there.

Slumping back against the wall, I slide to sit on the bench and take in the ship's design. There has to be a way out. Every door has controls. And there are always weaknesses in the system.

A red light blinks on beside the door. "I know what you are, what you did. Don't try anything. We have our own methods of torture."

I sigh and hug myself, wondering what lay ahead. But I can't do anything about that. So I close my eyes and think about the alien who held me like I was gold and drew in my scent like I was his air.

I would do anything for another chance to be close to him.