Page 17 of Joven's Bride
Chapter Nine
TheSentinel Hawklanded on Se’Nar in the dark of night in stealth mode. Finding the huge passenger freighterStar Travelerin orbit confirmed Joven’s decision not to wait for Zaif Crazell to contact him for a ransom. The bastard took his Carly to the slave auction to get rid of them as quickly as possible and still make a profit. She was only one of fifty “mail order” brides and grooms kidnapped when they seized theStar Traveleralong with twenty-seven crew members.
The pirates had arrived between auctions. Scans of both the pirates’ vessel and the passenger freighter revealed only a skeleton crew on each. Both those ships were too big to land, so he knew they would have shuttled down the hostages.
Joven knew his mate was ground side. He transformed into his giant panther form before he and his team left the ship. Only Kelbor stayed behind to make a speedy escape if necessary.
The other four cyborgs donned full battle armor before they left the ship. They had been to Se’Nar auction house barracks in their law enforcement days. Once they were in position, they would break open the doors and take out the guards. This was an unsanctioned operation, though Alliance Law Enforcement was unofficially aware of Joven’s plan.
Joven bounded ahead in the darkness. As he reconnoitered the port he was drawn by a scent. Narovian felines recognized their soulmates. Joven knew he had found Carly
As he approached the barracks, he desperately wanted to kill Crazell for taking her. Jovan could move so fast his prey wouldn’t notice his presence until it was too late. He wasn’t feeling particularly merciful after a month of chasing the pirates across the galaxy.
Joven immediately recognized the guard as a feline humanoid, the man he had known from his warrior days. Zaif Crazell. Likely he had stayed behind while his crew patronized the brothels in town. Crazell was never one to participate in recreational sex.
He never had a real family. His parents were not a love match. His father was a feline who had never found his soulmate. His mother, a sapien, had been abusive because she hated his father and therefore him. Finally, she left, but the damage was done.
Other felines told him it would be different if he found hismeomee,but Crazell didn’t believe that would ever happen. After the war, Joven never saw him again until now. Knowing his troubled pass did little to cool Joven’s anger.
Joven ran at Crazell and leaped smashing into him with his front paws and knocking him to the ground. Crazell tried to fight him off as Joven tore into him with his fangs and claws. The pirate screamed as one bionic arm was ripped from its socket, squirting blood where it had been connected. Crazell was never a real cyborg, he merely had cybernetic parts to replace those that were blown off his body.
Now Joven’s huge panther persona clawed and ripped the man apart, oblivious to his screams that only stopped when he ripped his throat out. Then he stood on the body and threw back his head and roared. Afterward, he trotted a few meters away and shook himself to get rid of the blood that covered his blue-black fur before he morphed back into humanoid form.
His other team members split up to secure the rest of the exits. Reverting back to his humanoid form, he hacked the door lock and moved silently into a dimly lit hallway. Carly’s scent was stronger inside.
Even in his humanoid form, Joven moved with a catlike grace unexpected in a man with his bulk. Finally, halfway down the corridor, her scent grew more potent behind another locked door. This was the hard part.
Joven would have to resist the mating urge long enough to find the crew and other passengers of theStar Travelerand get them back to their ship. He paused to close his eyes and breathed several slow deep breaths in a brief meditation exercise.
Thodai foundStar Traveler’s crew and rousted them. Once they realized the cyborgs were there to rescue not take them to auction, they quickly got up to help. “Is that shuttle at the starport functional?” Thodai asked.
“It got us here,” Captain Hofton replied. “Our ship is still in orbit under the pirate’s control. Crazell only disabled it to clamp on and board us. We didn’t have a chance.”
“Where’s Crazell and his crew?”
“Shore leave in the pleasure houses until the auction tomorrow,” Hofton replied. “What about the pirates running my ship.”
“We took care of them. They are in your brig. We’ll escort you back to your shuttle so you can get her ready to launch while we free the passengers and any others who wish to leave.”
“Our ship’s passenger section is only set up for a hundred ten,” Captain Hofton said. “There are at least two hundred captives here.”
“Put them in the cargo hold if you have to. Captain Brendict ordered us to take everyone,” Thodai asserted, taking a step closer to the merchant captain. “As soon as we cross into Alliance space, they have a transport to take the extra refugees from your ship. You will be fairly compensated for your service.”
“I appreciate that. Our provisions won’t last long with that many extra passengers. But, you’re right, we can’t leave Alliance citizens to be sold into slavery,” Hofton agreed.
Joven went from room to room rousing the captives from their bunks. He deliberately forced himself to leave his soulmate’s room for last, or he would not be able to do his job. Even though he was a cyborg, his genes were primarily Narovian feline humanoid.
When a Narovian feline finds, their soulmate, the feline gives off pheromones that send their mate’s libidos into a frenzy that drives them to mate repeatedly and at length for up to ten days.
Joven took a few calming breaths as he came to the door, separating him from hismeomee.He threw open the door with a bang and switched on the lights to plaintive moans and groans from a hundred sleepy females. “Pay attention, females! I am Captain Joven Brendict here with my team to evacuateStar Travelerpassengers and anyone else who doesn’t want to be sold as a slave.”
“Joven!” Carly cried. She jumped down from the second bunk and ran toward him. She stopped short, even though she wanted to throw herself into his arms. This was not how she pictured their first meeting. Suddenly, she didn’t know what to say as she was fighting not to break down sobbing. Joven didn’t need to know about her ordeal just then.
Joven couldn’t seem to find any words to say except, “Carly.” He gently gripped her upper arms and stared into her eyes for a moment before he pulled her to him and wrapped her in his arms.
She pressed her face against his shoulder and clung to him, tears of relief running down her cheeks. “I knew you would come.”
He kissed the top of her head and rubbed his cheek against her soft black hair savoring the feel of her body pressed to his. He allowed them no more than a brief moment to appreciate it, then gently pushed her away. Running his hands up and down her arms.
