Page 16 of The Highseer's Mate

“Draxel,” Varek says. “Do you have news?”

Draxel? I watch as he bows his head like a sign of respect for my captor. He doesn’t have glowing marks on his chest like Varek does. Does that mean he doesn’t have a mate?

I shake myself for the thought. I need to get a grip. As soon as I get the opportunity to escape, I’m taking it. Learning the ways of the Vruts is not high on my priority list.

Draxel nods. “There are more females.” He eyes me and then looks back to Varek waiting for a response.

My legs nearly give out.

Is he talking about…

“How many?”

“Five.”

The air surges from my lungs. No.

Draxel found the other women. Varek must have ordered him to go back and explore the ship. Now that the Vruts know they exist, and that they are basically sitting ducks waiting to be kidnapped. It’s only a matter of time before Varek and Draxel make their move.

Cristina’s terrified face flashes in my mind. And Melina, is she okay? Draxel says there are five women, so she must be alive, right? With her injuries, she’s probably in no condition to fight back.

And Ryan would do nothing but fight back.

Draxel stays silent as if waiting for an order from Varek. I have to do something. I didn’t let myself get taken just for the other women to get taken a day later. And none of this makes sense. No, Varek hasn’t hurt me, but he hasn’t let me go either. Maybe I’m only unharmed because he thinks we’re mates.

The other women might not be so… lucky.

My stomach hardens as tears threaten to well up.

“No,” I mumble, unable to form a coherent thought.

Varek’s brows lift as he gazes at me, folding his long arms across his chest.

“No?”

I meet his eyes, clinging to the way he’s watching me like he’s dying to hear my next words. It’s the only thing tethering me to this moment as the world feels like it’s spinning out of control.

“Please,” I say, my body moving on its own. I walk across the room to Varek and stop a foot from him, looking almost straight up at those big amber eyes. “Don’t go after them.”

He cocks his head.

“Leave them alone. Leave them at the ship.”

Draxel grumbles something behind me but Varek lifts a hand to stop him. “Go on, mate.”

I shake my head, the tears brimming my eyes as I imagine the chaos of the Vruts attacking the ship, dragging out the other women. I can hear them screaming—terrified. There’s a chance that after I was taken, they were able to get in contact with control on Earth. Maybe a rescue team is already on the way. They just need time.

“We’re not supposed to be here. Our ship was sucked through a wormhole. We were scared and some of us were injured. Please, don’t go after them.”

Varek’s jaw clenches hard as he stares down at me.

“Leave them out there. Protect them. I’m begging you.”

His eyes narrow. “You are begging me?”

I huff. He’s being smug. Throwing it in my face that he holds the power. He’s held the power since the moment he tore open the door to the damn ship. But yes, I’m begging him.

“Yes,” I admit.

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