3013: STOWAWAY (3013: The Series) (15 page)

“So, what are you going to do, Thunder, spank me?”

She flounced away from him before he could answer her, making sure to put an extra bit of sway in her hips as she walked over to the window. When she turned around, they were still
standing where she had left them. Two pairs of gleaming eyes stared back at her, and the evil smiles on their faces had her clit throbbing and her pulse pounding. There was no doubt in her mind she was going to pay for what she’d just said.

She couldn’t wait.

Deke watched the love of his life waltz away from them and had to fight the urge to go after her, toss her over his shoulder and fuck her senseless against the nearest wall. Judging by the look on Trevar’s face, his partner felt exactly the same way. “We are two very lucky men.”

“Yes, we are. There isn’t another like her in the whole damned universe. That isn’t going to stop me from paddling her sweet little ass pink when we get her alone later tonight.”

“I think that’s what she’s hoping for.” They shared a grin and then went to join their chosen.

It was time to show the world who held their hearts.

Soft music filled the air, as they approached the dais, and the guests began to drift to their seats when they realized the ceremony was about to begin. Danor and Verak, T’karra’s brothers, had agreed to be their honor guard, and the two Krytos took up a position on either side of the platform. Once all three of them were ready, Trevar cleared his throat.

“Before we get to the tattooing, there’s something we wanted to do for our chosen. Since our entire courtship was more or less all done onboard a frei
ghter, there weren’t many opportunities for presents or flowers or any of the usual things guys do when they’re trying to impress a beautiful woman. We’re not on the
Arca
anymore, though.” He turned to Danor, who handed him the bouquet of flowers they had acquired earlier. Sonja beamed, taking the flowers with a soft squeal of delight that no one but them could hear.

“You didn’t have to,” she said.

“Yes, we did,” Deke answered for them both as he drew the box out of his pocket and offered it to her. “We may not be the richest men in the world, or the most romantic, but we’ll do our best to make sure you know how much we love you, and to spoil you whenever we can.”

It was a joy to watch her expression change from happiness to wonder as she opened her gift and lifted the necklace out of the box to admire it better.

“This is beautiful,” she whispered.

“Two stars captured in one perfect gem. I’d say that’s us summed up nicely,” Deke said as he took the pendant and fastened the necklace around the slender column of her throat. She flushed with pleasure as he brushed a single kiss to her cheek, and the bells in her hair chimed softly as he let it fall back into place around her shoulders.

“I didn’t get you anything.”

Trevar leaned in and kissed her other cheek before whispering, “We get you. What else could we ever need? Well, you, and the twenty thousand credits you transferred to our account the night you stowed away. We really did get the better end of this deal.”

“Well, now I’m part of this family, I’m calling that an investment in our future,” Sonja said and then smirked. “Time to get those shirts off.”

T’karra stepped in to take the flowers and the box from Sonja while he and Trevar removed the upper half of their uniforms. Deke felt a bit strange stripping in front of an audience, especially when a woman cheered loudly from somewhere in the back and then someone else whistled.

“You don’t get to be shy, lover. You had my naked ass pressed up to a window, remember? Now it’s your turn.” Sonja murmured, her eyes glittering with amusement.

Once they were both ready, she gave them a wink and then lifted the marking device she held in her hand. “Deacon Wilde, I am your chosen, and with this mark I claim you just as you have claimed me. I love you, Deke.”

She pressed the device to the left side of his neck and pressed the button, and a cool tingle washed over his skin as the stylized pattern of all three of their combined initials began to be applied. She moved the device down the left side of his neck and he glanced down to watch the pattern flow outward. In moments, he was tattooed from neck to shoulder to flank.

It was done.

“We match,” he said, too happy to care if he sounded like foolish. He hauled her into his arms, kissing her as everyone cheered.

“We do. And damn, does that look good on you.” She touched his tattoo with her fingertips, tracing a line across his chest. “I’m looking forward admiring this up close later tonight.”

Deke groaned at the thought of having her trace every line and whirl of his new tattoo with her fingers, or better yet, her tongue. Within seconds his cock was at attention, hard as a rock and ready to play, only this wasn’t the time, and certainly not the place. Commander Janes was seated only a few feet away, and Deke knew the second she moved out of his arms everyone was going to see how deeply she’d affected him.

She was going to pay for that later.

“My turn,” Trevar rumbled.

Sonja was enjoying every second of the ceremony. Seeing the tattoo appear on Deke’s fair skin had given her a rush of almost primal satisfaction. He belonged to her now, her quiet, thoughtful lover who saw
such beauty in the world. He’d locked away so much of who he was, but she would never let him do that again.

“I love you,” she whispered to Deke and then moved to Trevar. She lifted the device and then held it a few inches from his neck. “Trevar Storm, I am your chosen, and with this mark I claim you just as you have claimed me.”

He glanced down at her, love showing in his eyes as she pressed the device to his neck and began the marking process. The ink flowed over his skin, shimmering in the same mercurial black as the marks on her face. She reached his flank and lifted the device from his body, leaving behind the permanent design the three of them had created together.

“Mine,” she said, and both men nodded as those within earshot laughed at her statement.

“Yours. Forever.” Trevar vowed, sweeping her into his arms so that she was pressed hard against his bare chest as his mouth claimed hers. His kiss left her knees weak and her heart pounding so loudly in her ears she could barely hear the cheers and applause from their guests. There were tears on her cheeks by the time they stepped apart. This was what she’d always hoped to have, bonded who loved her for herself, not her money or her family’s influence. Trevar was her charming bad boy who hid his soft heart and poet’s soul behind a jaded façade. He was her protector, loyal, fierce and loving.

The three of them just stood and beamed at each other until T’karra’s voice rang out above the others. “May the three of you have many years of joy together.”

“And may their children number as many as there are stars in the heavens!” Verak added loudly, making Sonja blush.
Children
? She wasn’t ready to even think about children yet.

“And on that note, the bar is open!
It’s time to celebrate.” T’karra gestured to the two Krytos Sonja had seen guarding the door earlier. “Open the doors, we’re back in business.”

Within minutes, the bar was full again, the gaming tables were surrounded and the sanctuary returned to normal. Guests and staff worked together to move the tables back into position, while
the three of them stayed by the windows, surrounded by well-wishers. It struck Sonja then that she had come full circle, from her brother’s bonding ceremony to her own in a matter of weeks. It was hard to believe, but the proof was standing on either side of her, their new tattoos showing above the collar of their newly donned dress uniforms.

Now all they needed was for the Alliance to officially sanction what she already knew. They belonged to each other.

***

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

It wasn’t long after the doors opened that Sonja was approached by a gray-haired gentlemen wearing an Alliance dress uniform marked with a commander’s insignia of rank.

So
, this is Commander Janes.

He wasn’t what she’d expected. She had imagined him to be stern and cold looking, but this man had a smile on his face and looked more like a favorite uncle than someone who had ordered her bonded arrested only a few hours ago.

Trevar and Deke both tensed at his approach, and they stepped up so that Sonja was between and slightly behind them both. “Commander,” Trevar greeted him tersely.

“I simply wanted to give you all my congratulations. No need to get hostile, Storm. I actually have something for you. It arrived minutes before as I was leaving my office to come here.”
He reached into a pocket and retrieved a data chip, offering it to Trevar. “Your claim of Sonja Grekov has been reviewed and accepted, which means these two are all yours now, young lady. I wish you luck.”

Trevar took the chip and stared at it for a moment. “That’s it? No charges? No more bureaucratic red tape?”

“I never said that. I have your preliminary reports, but there’s a few dozen other forms you two still need to fill out, and I suspect you are both going to have to answer for a few minor issues like transporting unauthorized passengers, ignoring official communications, tampering with your ship’s computer, and the like. You’ve been in worse trouble in your life, Storm. I have no doubt you’ll survive this one unscathed.”

“Does my family know yet?” Sonja asked. Despite everything, she hadn’t enjoyed keeping them in the dark about all that had happened. She just didn’t want to risk her parents interfering until she knew for certain that the claim had been approved.

“All they know is that you are safe and on X2. I think it best you tell them the rest yourself, and soon. They’ve been tearing the galaxy apart trying to find you.”

“Now that we’re official, I think it’s time to tell them. I can go ask T’karra if there’s a vid comm unit we can use.”

“If we’re about to meet your parents, kitten, then I’m going to go get us all a drink first. We’re going to need it.”

She nodded. “Make mine a double, will you please? Commander Janes, would you walk with me while I go find T’karra? I have a few thoughts I’d like to share with you on improving the manners of the men under your command.”

The commander’s eyes widened slightly, but there was a trace of a smile on his lips as he offered her his arm. “I’m sure this will be a fascinating conversation. Storm, I am starting to see what you meant when you said I’d understand once I met her.”

Deke choked and spluttered as he tried not to laugh, while Trevar simply grinned at the commander. “I warned you.”

Sonja tossed her head, sending the bells chiming again as she took the commander’s arm and started making their way across the floor.

“My men have already been disciplined for their actions today. They thought they were rescuing you, but clearly their enthusiasm got the better of their sense.”

“They’re lucky the Krytos showed restraint and didn’t tear them into tiny pieces. You know how they feel about violence inside their—” she never got to finish her sentence. In the space between one word and the next, Sonja was brutally grabbed and torn away from the commander. She screamed, fighting against the hands that held her, but whoever it was had a grip like iron. Remembering that she was wearing dress shoes, she twisted her legs and drove one spiked heel into her attacker’s shin, eliciting a snarl of pain. She looked around for someone to help, but thick smoke was rapidly filling the room and she couldn’t see anything, or anyone.

The hands around her waist gripped tighter and lifted her so that her thrashing feet couldn’t find anything to connect with. “Stop fighting me, you stupid
bitch. Your parents sent us.”

“No!” she screamed, louder this time. There was no way in hell she was going to be dragged back to Earth, or to the life she’d left behind. It wouldn’t matter to hired men if she were claimed or not, they’d deliver her so they could claim their fee. She fought harder, her fists pounding on any part of her attacker she could reach. One hand brushed the sheath of the dagger T’karra had given her, and Sonja snatched at it, pulling the blade clear and drawing it hard across the ha
nd holding her.

There was an agonized howl, and then she found herself tumbling to the ground. The bastard had finally let go of her. She hit the floor hard enough to knock most of the wind out of her lungs, but managed to keep hold of the dagger. It was the only weapon she had. If she lived through the next few minutes, she was going to ask for some self-defense training from her guys.

If
they
lived through the next few minutes.

The thought of them getting hurt sent her scrambling to her feet, trying to see them through the strange smoke that had just appeared and the panicked mass of patrons milling around in the haze. Somewhere nearby a blaster fired, then another, and she heard something else, an unfamiliar, basso profundo rumble punctuated by feral snarling.

What the fuck is happening now?

The answer came a second later, as seven and half feet of angry Krytos warrior charged past her, his eyes glowing an unholy red. His features had changed, becoming more beast than man, but Sonja thought it might have been
Verak. He launched himself at a man dressed in combat gear, his fangs and claws tearing through the guy’s body armor like it was made of tissue paper.

“Sonja!” someone bellowed her name from somewhere on the far side of the room, and she turned toward it, only to find herself facing another man in combat gear. She didn’t recognize his face, but the ugly gash across the back of one hand told her who he was, the son of a bitch who had grabbed her when this had all started.

“You’re coming with us,” he snarled and reached for her with his good hand.

“I’m not going anywhere with you. Get away from me!”

“You’re worth too much to me to walk away now, bitch. One way or another, you’re coming with us. How much you enjoy the trip back to Earth depends on how fast you drop that fucking knife.”

She gripped the hilt tighter and stood her ground. “No.”

Trevar was in hell. Somewhere in the chaos was his chosen, and he knew he had to find her. There weren’t many beings in the galaxy insane enough to start trouble in a Krytos sanctuary, and that meant they had a damned good reason. He’d bet every credit he had that they were here for Sonja, and there was no fucking way he was going to let them take her. The bar was full of smoke, making it hard to see, but he and Deke kept going, pushing their way through the crowd in the direction they’d last seen their chosen.

When the shooting started, he reached for his blaster and swore when he remembered that he’d left it on the ship. It hadn’t felt right to wear a weapon to the ceremony, but now he wished like hell he’d done it anyway. A big man wearing combat armor stepped in front of him, a blaster in his hand and Trevar’s instincts propelling him into action. Fists up, head down, he charged straight for the son of a bitch standing between him and Sonja. Something hot branded his side, a terribly familiar blend of heat and pain that seared its way straight to his brain.

Fuck. I’ve been shot.

His momentum carried him the last few feet. Gritting his teeth, he launched himself into the air and caught a glimpse of the surprised expression on the other man’s face. Then they were both falling, fighting for possession of the blaster as they tumbled to the floor. Trevar’s finger curled around the trigger a split second before they hit the ground, and he pulled the trigger.

Only one of them got up.

Trevar was disoriented from the fall and the pain tearing through him, but he kept a grip on his newly acquired weapon as he untangled himself from the dead man on the floor and struggled to get back on his feet. Deke appeared, hauling him to his feet with desperate strength.

“You okay?”

“Yeah.”

“I caught a glimpse of her over that way,” Deke shouted to be heard above the chaos and pointed off to their left. Trevar spotted her a second later. He pressed a hand to his injury and gritted his teeth against the agony tearing through him. Pain wasn’t going to stop him. Nothing was going to prevent him getting to Sonja and making sure she was alright.

She had vanished into the smoke again, but now they knew where she was, there was no stopping them. Every second got him closer to his goal, but it felt like an eternity before he finally laid eyes on her again. What he saw this time made him nearly insane with rage and blocked out the pain in his side completely. Her lip was split and her beautiful face was smeared with blood. Someone was going to pay dearly for that. Where the fuck was the bastard who had hurt her?

Trevar reached Sonja and she threw herself into his arms with a cry of relief. “You’re okay!”

“Of course we’re okay. We were worried about
you
.” Trevar was still looking for the bastard who had hurt her. He finally spotted him sprawled on the floor in a pool of blood, next to a black handled dagger

“Did you do that to him?” Trevar asked as he ran his hands over his chosen, looking for injuries.

“Bastard hit me. So, yeah. I did that.” She threw the downed man a look of pure hatred. “He said my parents sent them.”

Deke moved the blade out of reach and then nudged the man with his foot. The fallen mercenary groaned faintly, but didn’t move. “Well, he’s not dead, so he can tell us all about it once he wakes up.”

Trevar tried to wipe the blood off of Sonja’s face, but he only seemed to be making it worse. The pain returned and he glanced down at his hand, finally seeing that it was already covered in blood. His blood.

Maybe I’m not okay after all.

His vision started to darken as he stared at Sonja’s beautiful face. He didn’t want to go, didn’t want to leave her. He fought to stay with her, but the darkness came anyway, ice-cold and terrible, taking him away from the woman he loved and the life they had only just started. The last thing he saw before slipping away was his chosen’s ice-blue eyes filling with tears as she said something he couldn’t quite hear.

Sonja was still trying to understand what was happening. One minute Trevar had been holding her, asking if she was okay, and then it was as if some cruel god had flipped a switch and drained all the life out of Trevar’s body. He’d swayed and would have crashed to the ground if Deke hadn’t caught him. She dropped to her knees at Trevar’s side, still calling his name, and that’s when she finally saw where the blaster had caught him. It was an ugly wound, but as far as she could see it hadn’t hit anything vital. At least she hoped not.

“He’s going to be pissed,” Deke said as he crouched down beside her.

“What? Why?”

“Because that’s going to hurt like a son of a bitch for a few days, and Trevar is not what you’d call a good patient.” Deke wrapped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her.

“So he’s going to be okay?”

“He’s looked worse after some of his bar brawls. Not to worry, sweetheart, we’re still stuck with him.”

Relief surged through her and she wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. “So, what do we do?”

“You put some pressure on that to slow the bleeding, and I watch over you both until I know this nightmare is over. Then I expect we’re going to have a whole lot of forms to fill out…again. The Alliance hates it when shit like this happens.”

“Yeah, and I don’t imagine the Krytos are going to be pleased either.”

“Are you kidding? This is probably the most fun they’ve had in years. They’re crazy fuckers.”

“I heard that.” T’karra’s voice wasn’t much more than a roughened growl, and when Sonja glanced up at her friend, she could still see traces of the legendary transformation that had earned the species the nickname of “beasts.” Even as she watched, T’karra’s eyes changed from red to black, her fangs and claws retracted, and her features grew more refined.

T’karra glanced down at the man on the floor and grinned as she saw his bloody clothing and the knife lying a few feet away. “You did well, little sister. We left at least one of the filthy vermin alive. I imagine your Alliance will want to question him. Security and medical are on their way already. How badly is Trevar hurt?”

“He’ll live.
He’s going to be grumpy as hell for a few days, but he’ll be fine. As for the bastards who attacked us, I’m sure they will have to be questioned by the Alliance, but if you wish to have them returned to you afterward, I imagine the commander will allow it. After all, they broke the peace of the sanctuary.”

T’karra shook her head sadly.
“Commander Janes was killed in the fighting. We think he was the first one to fire. Probably trying to protect your mate.”

“Shit.”

T’karra nodded. “As clusterfucks go, this was an impressive one. The next time you three need sanctuary, I’m going to ask for a damage deposit before you step foot in my bar.”

Sonja had used a folded up section of her skirt as a makeshift pad to press against Trevar’s injury, and as she saw the blood on it she added it to the long list of things she needed to apologize to her hostess for. “I’m sorry. I had no idea my parents would ever go this far.”