when he lost himself to the madness he had no idea what would happen. What he was capable of.
Darac strained to keep himself sane. It lingered, a painful, roiling mass inside him. But he could think more clearly.
“She wasn’t thinking,” Rye stated angrily. “If you cannot follow orders, Willa, then you cannot be on this crew.”
His mate grew pale and for a moment she almost appeared afraid. She was brave and reckless. Yet her brother threatening to remove her from his crew almost had her shaking. Darac’s anger diverted from his mate—not that he would forget what she had done, they would most definitely be having a discussion about that—to the male who had hurt her. Pushing Willa behind him, he took a menacing step towards her brother. Bracing himself, Rye aimed his blaster at his chest.
“Rye!”
“Willa, stay out of this,” Rye snapped.
“You will not use that tone of voice with my mate.”
“I am not your mate!”
He hadn’t intended to tell her, but they needed to know he was serious when it came to her protection. He did not intend to fully mate her until he had talked to an Elder about his condition. Perhaps he would gain full control once they were truly mated.
But what if it didn’t? He could not tie her to him until he knew.
“When you are not around, I struggle to for control. It is only when you are close that I can think clearly. I was too far gone and you should not have been able to pull me back. Now I am caught in the middle between madness and sanity.”
Rye, glared at him. “I don’t know why you think you have some claim over her, but you are mistaken.”
“You do not care for her properly. You do not deserve her. She is mine to protect. To care for.”
“Sheesh, chill out all of you.” Willa moved out from behind him.
He prepared to protect her at the slightest threat. But while the tension in the room was high, the other males had all lowered their blasters.
“He’s infatuated with her,” Rye stated.
“Don’t know why.” Zuma grinned. Darac didn’t trust his smile. It didn’t reach his eyes. Darac had the feeling the other male’s relaxed demeanour was supposed to lull him into a sense of security, into believing Zuma was harmless.
He would not fall for that ruse.
“Hey!” Willa glared at Zuma.
“You’re my sister,” he replied. “You’re not supposed to be attractive. You’re supposed to run around with pigtails and skinned knees.”
She snorted. “When have you ever seen me wear pigtails, Zuma?”
“Enough,” Rye ordered. “We do not have time for this.”
Darac hadn’t forgotten that there was another male, hidden. He’d heard his voice earlier.
He scanned the room. There. The right corner of the room had some high-stacked crates that would provide perfect cover and give the shooter an excellent line of sight.
He shifted around Willa, placing himself between her and that corner of the room.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
He nodded toward the corner. “We are being watched.”
She studied the crates. “I can’t see anyone.”
Rye’s eyes narrowed. “How did you know he was there?”
“He is good,” Darac agreed. “But I am better.”
The quiet male standing towards the back of the room spoke up. “What are we going to do with him? We don’t have any way to hold him.”
Rye raised his eyebrows. “Just what is going on between the two of you, Willa? Are you really his mate?”
“No.”
He hid his wince at her denial of their relationship. Human females were different. They did not believe in soul mates. He knew from Mila that they liked romance. He had no idea how to give Willa romance. And he had no time to learn. Right now, he needed to concentrate on protecting her and figuring out how to fix himself.
“Really? Seems like he disagrees. He thinks he needs to protect you from us. Your crew. Unless you are no longer part of the crew?”
“Of course I am.” She pointed at Darac. “I don’t even know
Darac strained to keep himself sane. It lingered, a painful, roiling mass inside him. But he could think more clearly.
“She wasn’t thinking,” Rye stated angrily. “If you cannot follow orders, Willa, then you cannot be on this crew.”
His mate grew pale and for a moment she almost appeared afraid. She was brave and reckless. Yet her brother threatening to remove her from his crew almost had her shaking. Darac’s anger diverted from his mate—not that he would forget what she had done, they would most definitely be having a discussion about that—to the male who had hurt her. Pushing Willa behind him, he took a menacing step towards her brother. Bracing himself, Rye aimed his blaster at his chest.
“Rye!”
“Willa, stay out of this,” Rye snapped.
“You will not use that tone of voice with my mate.”
“I am not your mate!”
He hadn’t intended to tell her, but they needed to know he was serious when it came to her protection. He did not intend to fully mate her until he had talked to an Elder about his condition. Perhaps he would gain full control once they were truly mated.
But what if it didn’t? He could not tie her to him until he knew.
“When you are not around, I struggle to for control. It is only when you are close that I can think clearly. I was too far gone and you should not have been able to pull me back. Now I am caught in the middle between madness and sanity.”
Rye, glared at him. “I don’t know why you think you have some claim over her, but you are mistaken.”
“You do not care for her properly. You do not deserve her. She is mine to protect. To care for.”
“Sheesh, chill out all of you.” Willa moved out from behind him.
He prepared to protect her at the slightest threat. But while the tension in the room was high, the other males had all lowered their blasters.
“He’s infatuated with her,” Rye stated.
“Don’t know why.” Zuma grinned. Darac didn’t trust his smile. It didn’t reach his eyes. Darac had the feeling the other male’s relaxed demeanour was supposed to lull him into a sense of security, into believing Zuma was harmless.
He would not fall for that ruse.
“Hey!” Willa glared at Zuma.
“You’re my sister,” he replied. “You’re not supposed to be attractive. You’re supposed to run around with pigtails and skinned knees.”
She snorted. “When have you ever seen me wear pigtails, Zuma?”
“Enough,” Rye ordered. “We do not have time for this.”
Darac hadn’t forgotten that there was another male, hidden. He’d heard his voice earlier.
He scanned the room. There. The right corner of the room had some high-stacked crates that would provide perfect cover and give the shooter an excellent line of sight.
He shifted around Willa, placing himself between her and that corner of the room.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
He nodded toward the corner. “We are being watched.”
She studied the crates. “I can’t see anyone.”
Rye’s eyes narrowed. “How did you know he was there?”
“He is good,” Darac agreed. “But I am better.”
The quiet male standing towards the back of the room spoke up. “What are we going to do with him? We don’t have any way to hold him.”
Rye raised his eyebrows. “Just what is going on between the two of you, Willa? Are you really his mate?”
“No.”
He hid his wince at her denial of their relationship. Human females were different. They did not believe in soul mates. He knew from Mila that they liked romance. He had no idea how to give Willa romance. And he had no time to learn. Right now, he needed to concentrate on protecting her and figuring out how to fix himself.
“Really? Seems like he disagrees. He thinks he needs to protect you from us. Your crew. Unless you are no longer part of the crew?”
“Of course I am.” She pointed at Darac. “I don’t even know
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