up,” Rye called out.
Darac took a step out from behind the crates and she quickly followed, stepping in front of him.
With a low noise, he pushed her behind him.
“Damn it, Darac. I’m not some helpless heroine and you don’t get to treat me like one.” She stepped out to his side. He matched her movements. Didn’t he get that he was the one in danger? But, oh no, his ego couldn’t take the blow of having to have a woman protect him.
Idiot.
“I give my life for yours.”
She snorted. “Bit over-dramatic don’t you think? We just met. I usually expect someone to buy me a beer before they declare their undying devotion.”
“Willa, you want to explain what’s going on here?” Rye asked in a silken voice.
Not good.
“Rye, you can’t kill him.”
“Of course he cannot kill me. I am the far superior warrior.” Arrogance filled Darac’s voice as he stared at her brother.
“And he has a blaster aimed at your over-inflated head. Now shut up and let me handle this.” He frowned at her but was blessedly quiet. “Umm.” Okay, what to say to defuse this situation? Rye stood straight ahead of them. To the left she spotted Zuma. At their right, Deacon crouched behind a crate. All of them were armed.
Steele, Nolan and Mitch were missing. She guessed Nolan and Mitch were in medical. So Steele was probably hidden somewhere. And if he didn’t want to be found, she wouldn’t find him.
“Wow, this is a weird situation to be in,” she muttered.
“You’re surrounded, there is no way out of this. But if you let Willa go, we’ll let you live,” Zuma stated.
He was lying. She could always tell when he lied.
“Just chill,” she ordered. “I get that you’re all mad. But you need to listen to me.”
“What exactly do you have to say, Willa?” Rye purred. “He tried to kill Mitch. He broke out of hover cuffs. He ripped a steel door apart. Then he kidnapped you.”
“He didn’t kidnap me,” she protested. Even though he pretty much had. “It’s not like he could take me anywhere.”
“He’s dangerous. He needs to be taken out. I don’t understand why you’re defending him. He is the enemy.” Zuma gave her an incredulous look.
Guilt filled her. She didn’t deserve that look. She wasn’t betraying her brothers and her crew. Was she?
Maybe she should step away from Darac, let them kill him. But that thought filled her with terror. She couldn’t do it. She was torn between her family and a man she barely knew.
“Willa? Are you hurt?” Darac stared down at her in concern.
“I’m fine. Just a headache.” She rubbed at her temples.
“A migraine,” Zuma clarified. “You’re not thinking clearly, Willa. Step away.”
Zuma was right. It was the beginning of a migraine. Her stomach rolled and her hands grew sweaty. “Everyone calm down. Could we put the blasters away? Makes me nervous having them aimed my way.”
She knew no one would shoot her, but figured that was the fastest way of getting them to comply. For a long moment, Rye stared at her.
“Rye, the only reason Darac snapped was because Mitch was attacking me. You can’t tell me you wouldn’t feel the same way.”
“He’s a maniac.” Zuma nodded at Darac.
“Yeah, he’s a bit crazy.” Completely and utterly bonkers. “Apparently if a Zerconian male lives too long without finding their mate, they go a bit insane. That’s what happened to him. He doesn’t even remember what he did when we first bought him on board.”
“But he’s fine now,” Deacon said skeptically. “Sounds like he’s been selling you some magic beans.”
“Because I have found my mate,” Darac said proudly.
“Better not be me,” Zuma added, showing a glimmer of his usual humor. “My ass is not up for negotiation.”
“You are very pretty but I am not interested in males.”
“Pretty? Pretty?” Zuma gaped at the large Zerconian. “Is he for real? I’m not pretty.”
Darac drew her against him. “Willa is my
Darac took a step out from behind the crates and she quickly followed, stepping in front of him.
With a low noise, he pushed her behind him.
“Damn it, Darac. I’m not some helpless heroine and you don’t get to treat me like one.” She stepped out to his side. He matched her movements. Didn’t he get that he was the one in danger? But, oh no, his ego couldn’t take the blow of having to have a woman protect him.
Idiot.
“I give my life for yours.”
She snorted. “Bit over-dramatic don’t you think? We just met. I usually expect someone to buy me a beer before they declare their undying devotion.”
“Willa, you want to explain what’s going on here?” Rye asked in a silken voice.
Not good.
“Rye, you can’t kill him.”
“Of course he cannot kill me. I am the far superior warrior.” Arrogance filled Darac’s voice as he stared at her brother.
“And he has a blaster aimed at your over-inflated head. Now shut up and let me handle this.” He frowned at her but was blessedly quiet. “Umm.” Okay, what to say to defuse this situation? Rye stood straight ahead of them. To the left she spotted Zuma. At their right, Deacon crouched behind a crate. All of them were armed.
Steele, Nolan and Mitch were missing. She guessed Nolan and Mitch were in medical. So Steele was probably hidden somewhere. And if he didn’t want to be found, she wouldn’t find him.
“Wow, this is a weird situation to be in,” she muttered.
“You’re surrounded, there is no way out of this. But if you let Willa go, we’ll let you live,” Zuma stated.
He was lying. She could always tell when he lied.
“Just chill,” she ordered. “I get that you’re all mad. But you need to listen to me.”
“What exactly do you have to say, Willa?” Rye purred. “He tried to kill Mitch. He broke out of hover cuffs. He ripped a steel door apart. Then he kidnapped you.”
“He didn’t kidnap me,” she protested. Even though he pretty much had. “It’s not like he could take me anywhere.”
“He’s dangerous. He needs to be taken out. I don’t understand why you’re defending him. He is the enemy.” Zuma gave her an incredulous look.
Guilt filled her. She didn’t deserve that look. She wasn’t betraying her brothers and her crew. Was she?
Maybe she should step away from Darac, let them kill him. But that thought filled her with terror. She couldn’t do it. She was torn between her family and a man she barely knew.
“Willa? Are you hurt?” Darac stared down at her in concern.
“I’m fine. Just a headache.” She rubbed at her temples.
“A migraine,” Zuma clarified. “You’re not thinking clearly, Willa. Step away.”
Zuma was right. It was the beginning of a migraine. Her stomach rolled and her hands grew sweaty. “Everyone calm down. Could we put the blasters away? Makes me nervous having them aimed my way.”
She knew no one would shoot her, but figured that was the fastest way of getting them to comply. For a long moment, Rye stared at her.
“Rye, the only reason Darac snapped was because Mitch was attacking me. You can’t tell me you wouldn’t feel the same way.”
“He’s a maniac.” Zuma nodded at Darac.
“Yeah, he’s a bit crazy.” Completely and utterly bonkers. “Apparently if a Zerconian male lives too long without finding their mate, they go a bit insane. That’s what happened to him. He doesn’t even remember what he did when we first bought him on board.”
“But he’s fine now,” Deacon said skeptically. “Sounds like he’s been selling you some magic beans.”
“Because I have found my mate,” Darac said proudly.
“Better not be me,” Zuma added, showing a glimmer of his usual humor. “My ass is not up for negotiation.”
“You are very pretty but I am not interested in males.”
“Pretty? Pretty?” Zuma gaped at the large Zerconian. “Is he for real? I’m not pretty.”
Darac drew her against him. “Willa is my
Similar Books
