Page 31 of Savage Union

“No, Sir,” he said coldly. “I would not.”

“Good. Then get off my bridge and don’t come back until you look presentable,” I told him.

Gurflug turned to go but before leaving the ready room, he just had to say one more thing.

“You haven’t heard the last of this,” he said, his hand on the door control. “I’ll speak to the Union Rep—I know you have one on board.”

“Good luck with that, since you’re not part of Clan Savage,” I told him. “Have fun explaining that you’re being mistreated because you have to clean your own uniform and the cook won’t make you special meals like the pretty little princess you apparently think you are.”

His purple eyes bulged.

“I am not receiving the respect I am due as the Head Navigator of this vessel!” he spat.

I pointed a finger at him.

“You’renotthe ‘Head Navigator’—you’re not even theonlynavigator. Which means we don’t have to cater to your fucking whims.”

Gurflug opened his mouth to protest again but I cut him off.

“This discussion is over. If you say one more word—one more word—you’ll be spending tonight in the brig.”

Gurflug looked like he wanted to test me…but in the end he didn’t dare. With a last, furious glance over his beefy shoulder, he left my ready room and stalked to the Gensen’s tube to exit the bridge.

I watched him go with an impassive look on my face, but inside I was fucking angry. I was sure he would make good on his threat to complain to the Union Rep—which was Frux, of course.

Fucking Frux wouldloveanother grievance to bring against me to the Chief. It would ultimately go nowhere, but it would be a pain in my ass just the same. What a fucking mess.

At least I still had the boy to fall back on, I thought, watching Cass at the navigator’s station. Despite his bloodshot eyes and tired appearance, he was plotting our next series of jumps effortlessly and quickly.

Still, a navigator with worm hole sickness was no joke. I needed to give him the medication I had for itbeforewe jumped again, and we were close to the next worm hole now.

But though I knew I should call him into my Ready Room at once, I hesitated as I watched him work. What was it about him that drew me so strongly? I kept feeling like he reminded me of someone—someone dear to me.

Jessina,I thought. My best friend’s little sister had smooth, light brown skin and pale amber eyes. It occurred to me that this boy, Cass, looked a lot like her. He could have been her brother, in fact.

Except, I knew her brother. Slade looked like a pure-bred Brute—like me. He had pearly gray skin and horns just like I did. Jessina only had brown skin tones because their mother had beenYerbishian.I wondered if Cass wasYerbishian,but it didn’t really matter. I was just glad that I’d placed the reason why I couldn’t keep my eyes off him.

He reminds me of Jess—of my little bird,I thought and felt a surge of anxiety for her. I wondered if Slade had found her. I hoped she was all right—the idea of her out there wandering about Rigelis Nine with no one to protect her from predators was fucking terrible. I knew firsthand what bastards most males could be and Jessina was so beautiful…so tempting…

I realized I was still staring at Cass as I had these thoughts and pushed them quickly away. I had to concentrate on the matter at hand, I told myself. And I had to stop looking at Cass and thinking of Jessina. It was pure coincidence that the boy looked like her.

I was determined to keep the strange resemblance out of my mind in the future.

14

JESSINA

“Navigator Cass, my room, now.”

Turk’s voice startled me so much I nearly dropped the nav band—which I had just removed from around my temples. Oh Goddess—was I in some kind of trouble? Had he heard about how I had puked all over Jerx? Had someone made a complaint?

There was no way to know. Gurflug had just left the bridge a moment ago looking like a thundercloud. He had shot me an angry, hateful look from his bulging purple eyes as he went. I’d pretended not to notice, but now I wondered if he had been complaining about me to Turk. And if so, had Turk believed him?

Carefully, I placed the silver band on the navigator’s console and stood. Turk was waiting for me with an impassive look on his face, but I thought his bronze eyes looked angry.

I followed him into his ready room, noting the desk and chair first. But then my eyes were drawn to the whipping cross and the coiled pain whip in the corner. Goddess—did he really use those things on the crew?

If he didn’t, why would he have them here?whispered a practical little voice in my head. I tried to hold back a shiver andfailed. Goddess, was he angry with me? He must be—it must be because I’d gotten sick all over Jerx, I thought.

---