Page 22 of Rebel Fates

I’m in so much frexing trouble.

My animal is calling me. I’m close to the shift.

Gemma smells divine. Her flesh is so soft and inviting that I want to lick hereverywhere. By her questions and deductions, she seems intelligent. She’s trained in engineering, too. I’ve always wanted a mate with brains and beauty.

I don’t think it was my imagination that she’s perhaps interested in me as well.

How much longer can I hold back my need to claim her? I can barely do it now.

“Zeek!” Serrat calls from the control room.

I hurry to see what has upset him. I have a feeling it’s me.

He’s alone in the control room. Good, I don’t need Rok here yelling at me, too.

“Yes, sir!” Never hurts to kiss ass when I’m about to get mine reamed.

Serrat huffs at me and rolls his eyes. He knows my game. We’ve been together long enough. “Why would you ask to keep her in front of her?”

“I couldn’t help it.” I shrug.

“I was afraid of that.” Serrat nods to the empty seat. “Sit.”

Oh frex, I’m in for a lecture. I get control of my breathing, but being so close to the shift, I struggle to contain my emotions.

“She isn’tours. You need to stay away from her, and we need to keep her away from us. From what I’ve heard of humans, she won’t be able to deal with… any of it. Us.”

“Gemma seems to be dealing fine with everything so far,” I argue.

“Oh, her name… Gemma,” Serrat repeats her name thoughtfully. “Perhaps. But we don’t know if she’s still in shock. We also don’t know if our enemies have sent her to kill us.”

Now I know what really has him riled up.

“Ahuman? Working for the Syndicate?” I shake my head. “No. That’s far-fetched.”

“Leva says she allowed Gemma onboard—a gift for us. But what if someone coerced Leva?” Serrat tightens his fists. “Tricked her?”

If Serrat believes Gemma is here to hurt his crew-mates, he’ll do anything to protect us, which means killing her. My fear is for the tiny human helplessly locked away. I can’t imagine she’s a spy or an assassin, especially the way I found her—ass in the air, vulnerable. My cock awakens again with the image. I shake my head to focus back on the conversation with my alpha.

“Serrat, I don’t think the female is a spy or an assassin.”

“We know nothing about her!” Serrat snaps. “Just because your cock and snout like her, it doesn’t meanyoushould.”

I smile to ease his worry. “When have my instincts ever been wrong? They picked you, didn’t it?”

Serrat sighs. “That’s different. She says she is human, but we know nothing about her. Someone from the Syndicate could have programmed her to assassinate us when we let our guard down. You’ve heard the rumors. There has been an influx of human slaves in the last couple of solar cycles. The Syndicate could have tricked Leva and placed the human assassin onboard. The human might not even know she is an assassin!”

“That’s a tremendous leap, Serrat. Why would they think we would take the bait? She’s lucky we didn’t shoot her on sight. Her ass was literally trapped in Leva’s air ducts!”

“Whydidn’tyou shoot her?” Serrat asks, eyes narrowed.

“I don’t know.” I pause, unsure why I didn’t kill the intruder immediately. “Something about the way Gemma stuck her succulent ass in the air?” I joke. Then I ask with seriousness, “Why did you risk your life to rip off her collar?”

Serrat looks a bit taken aback by his actions, too. “Instinct?” He shakes his head, confused. “I… I was compelled to save her at the moment.”

I smirk. “Because of her great ass?”

Serrat chuckles, and I know I have finally worn him down and he waves me away. “Maybe? I do not know.”

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