Page 32 of Saving Lauren

“Are you okay, my Zarra? Does it hurt like this?” She shakes her head. I carry her through the ship to the bridge.

Whe make our way to the bridge and my crewmates. As we enter I immediately shield her eyes because there are 5 dead Sternotheri lying on a pile in the corner. I feel my crewmates’ relief at seeing L’Ren through our connection.

“What are you doing?” she protests, but I shush her.

“I do not want you to see all the dead.” Still, she pushes away my hands, then wriggles so I have to put her down. She pulls my head towards her and our brows touch.

“I will only say this once, but I am okay. These fucking aliens TOOK me, they took from me what I did not want to give, and somebody has to pay. I am so angry for all the things they did to me and if that makes me a bloodthirsty bitch, then so be it. They took me, killed all the girls at the space station and no doubt did many other unspeakable things. So, I can handle this D’Var. I promise you.”

I do not know what to say, my Zarra, this vicious side of her is not something I have seen before, and I like it. I like it a lot.

“I am proud of you, my mate,” I say.

I hear someone clear their throat behind us. “I applaud your newfound strength, L’Ren, but we really should not be here any longer than we need to,” T’Rak says and I turn towards them, letting L’Ren hold onto my arm.

Seated in the captain’s chair is a Sternotheri. His eyes spit fire, but T’Rak confirms to me that he is paralyzed from the waist down and cannot hurt my mate.

“Can you assist L’Ren for me?” I ask O’Rec. He quickly moves to my side. I shift so that L’Ren can lean on him. I see his concerned look and the fire in his eyes when he realizes she is injured.

I stalk towards the Sternotheri in the chair, like a predator stalking his prey, and he flinches. I take out a knife and stand before him.

“Did you touch her?” I ask and he looks past me towards her. I growl and press my knife against his neck. “DID YOU TOUCH HER?” I growl and he spits at me.

“I did not touch that filthy whore.”

I howl and take away my knife from his neck, push it into his upper arm, stapling him against the chair.

“You do not speak of my mate that way.” I see something passing in his eyes, it is clear he had no idea who she was to me.

“Why did you take her?” I growl, pressing a new knife back against his neck. He swallows and I pierce his skin, then I turn the blade. He starts breathing heavily.

“Yalix,” he pants. “He wants her back. Paid us a fortune to retrieve her.”

“How did you find us?” I ask and when he doesn’t answer fast enough, I yank the knife out of his arm and stab his other arm towards the chair. He howls in pain.

“Tracker!” he shouts. “There is a tracker behind her ear, near the translator. It is short range, but you were seen at Centauri IV and someone called it in.”

“Thank you,” I grin at him before I take my knife and slit his throat.

Lauren

I am shaking, holding on to O’Rec for dear life. I know I said all those things, my inner bad-ass bitch totally took over, but seeing the pain and torment D’Var put on the alien, it makes me feel a bit nauseous. I have to look away at point when D’Var goes for the kill. I know I will have nightmares about it, but also, it was worth it. I needed this. I needed some kind of vengeance. The bond is pulsing with satisfaction. I look up, knowing I need something else. I need D’Var.

The minute the thought enters my mind, he’s beside me. Cradling me in his arms again.

“Let us get you back to our ship and destroy this fucking monstrosity.”

I couldn't agree more.

I sense that D’Var, O’Rec and T’Rak are communicating silently as to their next move. I honestly don’t mind. I trust them and feel comfortable with them. Making me become attuned to them.

The adrenaline that has been keeping me going is slowly leaving my body now that I am safe in D’Var’s arms. I cling to his harness, hiding my face in his hard chest. I am tempted to breathe in his scent deeply, but I feel something sticking to my cheek. Knowing it could be the castoff from the Sternotheri I think better of it. He probably reeks, as I am sure I do.

We hurry through the alien ship. When D’Var starts climbing I get curious and I peek out from my hiding place. We are in some kind of air duct. I try to look over D’Var’s shoulder, but I fail.

“Where are we?” I ask him.

“We entered the ship through a hole in the hull,” he answers. “We have to hurry to our ship and get the fuck out of here, because the Sternotheri ship is set to self-destruct.”

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