Page 62 of The Omega's Unexpected Bounty
Or would want to.Soturi were honor bound to protect their mates. Peter was the one who set up the peace treaty with the Ryba and helped give the Volardi empire biotechnology. Producing lots of babies was enough to make him valuable, and he did more. If anyone was the most favored Omega in the galaxy, it was him.It certainly isn’t Nate.
A silver ship appeared as a dot in the distance and then grew as it streaked toward us. Even before it opened, I knew who would be in there. It landed hard on the beach and threw white-brown sand around in a wide ring. The top part melted down, and the same dark-haired man I remember from the ceremony stepped out. Like all Soturi he had the traditional right purple stripe on his hair and was thick with shifting muscles. Rich purple eyes narrowed, and he hefted a large humming ax in his hand. “Nate Evans of Earth, we meet again.”
I’ve seen plenty of scared men in my life but nothing like the sheer terror I saw next to me. Nate’s skin paled while he shook. His hands gripped the side of the hoverchair until they turned white.
“Please...” whispered Nate as he stepped away from us. It was just a few seconds before the Vibro-Axe rose high. I wonder what Nate was like back on Earth. Probably not somebody I would like, but I don’t think the old him ever felt fear like this. Twenty years in an Omega body on a planet that saw him as a hole and nothing more killed his former self. Now the new one would die as well.
“Wait!” I screamed.
“This doesn’t concern you,” said Matros.
“He’s my pa!” My eyebrows rose after said those words. “He’s my father.”
“I am aware. This kingdom like others doesn’t hurt Omegas or Femeni. I will not harmyou.”
“You’ll injure me by doing something to him.”
His lips pressed together hard. “Don’t use your clever words on me.” His hand went out and pressed against Nate’s neck. “Remember when this happened? Twenty solar rotations ago you attacked my beloved after drugging him. The planetary treaty saved you onEarth. It will not do that here. I said you would die if you were on a Volardi world. Consider where you are now.”
Tiny tapped at me, and I shook my head. I might need him later and attacking royalty had plenty of troublesome implications.
“Matros,” I said. “He attacked Peter. Shouldn’thebe here to witness this?”
His nose wrinkled, and he threw Nate onto the sand who then curled into a ball. He said something, but I couldn’t make it out from the mumbled sobs.
He turned to me and looked down. “You are near your delivery time, so I will temper my words. Had I not saved Peter from this man, he might have bared his child. You invade my kingdom and are a temporary guest with a criminal.” A purple security sphere I didn’t notice before floated and bathed us in purple light.
“Deactivate your simulacrum.”
I thought about what I did earlier and the promise I made.
“I can’t.”
“If you do not, the orb will shock him and wipe his programming.”
Tiny spoke. “It’s fine. You don’t have to do it if I do it myself.” His eyes flashed silver, and he tumbled against my hand.
“Happy?” I asked.
“You are in my kingdom with the greatest affront in the galaxy possible next to you. Give thanks to the universe I didn’t do more.”
***
Chapter Thirty-Four
GRADEN
Rodion spoke quickly but softly. “He wasnotat the meeting spot. I waited a sufficiently long period, then scouted the surrounding area with my most trusted guards.”
I fought a wave of nausea. “No reports of an injured–”
He shook his head no. “We’ve searched all the security spheres and satellites.” It’s as if he disappeared into the ocean.”
A momentary consideration of how that might be possible came and then went away like a wave. Caan knew no Ryba, and we’ve been at peace for over twenty years. They wouldn’t have abducted him, but it wasn’t unheard of; Matros’ mate was kidnapped by them years ago.
I closed my eyes and concentrated on Caan. It’s an old Oma tale that you can sense your mate. It wasn’t correct. Otherwise, I’d have a direction. It didn’t feel like he was underwater and yet did.
Maybe because he was in the tunnels?My eyes opened. “Medical bracelet?”
