Page 35 of Courting Mayhem

“She belongs to me, and I will name her what I want.”Canute’s fierce gaze fixed on me.

“Kiriis a sentient being who is under my protection, and she loves her new name.”

“Females,”Canute spat.

“The Overlord wants to know where the Rodan base is,”Derek interjected.

Papi Sten gave Derek the stink eye. “More importantly we need to know where Vrax is going to auction off the Shebu.”

A computerized voice announced: “Jacob Stone has activated emergency recall. Status injured.”

Horror rocked me and I instinctively teleported to the transporter room.

Papi Sten charged into the room a minute later.

“Where’s the War Commander?”

“Trying to get Canute to tell him where the Rodan base is and where the Shebu auction is being held, but Askole warriors are known for being tight-lipped.”

Blue sparkles appeared on the platform. The sparkles grew until they took the form of a man. When the glittering blue light faded, Poppa Jacob stood there with a knife protruding from his shoulder. “I forgot to duck.”

My eyes widened in alarm at the amount of blood running down his chest. “Let’s get you to sick bay.”

“Teleport him,” Papi Sten ordered.

I wrapped an arm around his waist and teleported. There was a flash of inky darkness and poof. We appeared in sick bay. To my amazement, teleporting had become as easy as breathing.

“Holy fuck! You can teleport!” Poppa Jacob swayed and almost fell.

I eased him onto an examining table. “I can.”

“How?”

“How do you think?” I pulled the knife out.

Poppa Jacob grunted and fell back on the table. “Fuck. You linked with him.”

“I didn’t have much of a choice. If I hadn’t linked with Derek, all of us would have died.” I grabbed the healing wand and ran it over his wound.

His mouth pulled into a snarl of pain, Poppa Jacob snapped, “He owns you now.”

Unease knotted my stomach. Goddess, I hoped not. “If I had to do it all over again, I’d make the same decision. You know and I know, that Vrax will sell the Shebu to the Rodan.”

Papi Sten walked in. “Mayhem did what was necessary.”

“Once the war commander realizes how special she is, he’ll never let her go,” Poppa Jacob grumbled.

“Not happening. He doesn’t like me, remember?” Grabbing a pressure injector, I shot Poppa Jacob up with a sedative and a strong antibiotic. I pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Rest now.”

Poppa Jacob’s eyes closed.

“Once a Coletti warrior bonds with his chosen, there is no escape,” Papi Sten stated.

I quickly cleaned the blood off Poppa Jacob and sprayed liquid bandage over the wound. “I’m not his chosen and we haven’t bonded.”

“Are you sure about that?” Derek drawled from the doorway.

“Yes, we are partners and nothing more.” If I kept telling myself that, maybe it would be true. “Where’s Kiri?”

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