Page 50 of Rescuing Mara

Marra takes a few steps forward, then looks at me in anguish. “I’m sorry,” she whispers. “I’m so sorry…”

Then she takes the last few steps, separating us from Ananta. I fall to my knees, and a tortured “Nooooooo” leaves my mouth, but the Sternotheri males grab me immediately, and I am powerless to see my mate in the hands of my sworn enemy once again.

A loud slap echoes through the ship as Ananta hits Marra’s face. Hard. I growl and wrestle, and Ananta cackles. Marra just stands there, looking at the ground.

“I’m okay, I promise.”I feel her thoughts coming through in the haze of my mind, and it takes everything not to show my relief.

“That’s what happens when you disappoint me,” Ananta snarls before she turns her attention to me.

“I am in control of Mara. If you want to keep her alive, you'd better cooperate…” The words ‘or else’ hang in the air, and I hang my head, feeling utterly defeated.

“Where are the other Arracate?” Ananta asks Marra.

“Out, the ship took a bad hit when it crashed, and they are searching for help.”

Ananta cackles. “Looks like they won’t be following us any time soon then. Let’s go.”

Her goons push me forward, and we move to the side of the ship. Ananta’s ego really is her blind spot. Not only did she not make any effort to search the ship, but she also let me keep my wrist comp. They push us into the entering tube they used to board our ship. When we are safely inside the Sternotheri ship, I manage to close the hedges, keeping L’Ren safe.

“Did you manage to close the doors?”Marra asks me through our link.

“Yes, my star.”I respond, thanking the stars for our connection as the Sternotheri push me along. Ananta is yelling at Marra the whole time, belittling her, cursing her, and blaming her for being in this planet’s atmosphere. She shoves Marra forward with blows to her lower back, and I cannot help it; I growl.

She cackles. “Don’t like it when I touch your precious mate, my Prince?” she mocks. “Ooooh, look at Prince O’Rec of Arracate. Has he finally found his Zarra; is she not his to keep?” She cackles as she continues her abuse of my mate.

“Keep calm, O’Rec,”Marra tells me through our link.“I have to let her treat me this way. She is used to this meek, scared version of me. This is how I was before. I need to be this way so she can trust me. She cannot know I have changed!”

“I agree, but I do not have to like it.”

We turn corners until we reach the heart of the ship where the Sternotheri command is located.

“Take him away,” Ananta commands, and she waves her hand at her henchmen. “Don’t even think to try anything Warrior, I will kill your mate in a heartbeat.”

Panic rises in me; they are separating us. We predicted this, but it hurts. It hurts so much. The bond is pulsing, screaming, it is in agony. We cannot leave our mate here with our enemies. I try to resist the males dragging me away, but the attempt is half-hearted.

“Marraaaaaaaaaa.” I scream out her name, but she refuses to look at me, leaving me haunted by the echoes of Ananta’s laughter.

The Sternotheri take me to their cellblock, which is situated in the belly of the ship. I try to memorize every detail of the ship so I can find my way back to my mate if need be. The layout of this ship is similar to other ships we have encountered, so there are no big surprises here. The males push me into a big cage, and I roar with anger. I really try my best to contain myself. I could have killed these fuckers when they first dared to lay their hands on me. Sadly, I cannot. I have to think of Marra because I know Ananta will execute her threat; Marra means nothing to her.

I am so lost in my thoughts I do not see the Sternotheri coming, and I scream in agony when they poke me with a stick, sending electrical shocks through my body. They laugh, and they do it again and again. The cage is located in the center of the area, with bars all around and no adjacent cells. So, I have nowhere to go. My only option is to endure the torture, and I will do that like the warrior I am, standing proudly in the center of my cage. Growling like an animal at the fuckers who attack me. I fall to my knees after a particularly nasty jolt, and when everything turns black, I hope I have made my father proud.

* * *

“O’Rec!”Something is scratching at the edges of my consciousness.

“O’Rec, please answer me!”

“Marra?” I groan.

“O’Rec? Are you there? Wake up!”

Grumbling, I try to open my eyes and push my body into a seated position. No, Marra. Was it just a dream, then?

“In your mind, silly. Stars, what have they done to you?”I wipe my face with my hands. Of course she is not here, she is trying to rouse me through our mind link.

“I am sorry, my Zarra, they hit me with a high voltage taser. I feel a little groggy but otherwise fine.”

Outrage pours through the bond.“That does not sound like ‘fine’ to me.”

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