Page 10 of Keeping Freya
Her anger lights mine, and I prowl towards her, making her step back until her back hits the other wall. “Do NOT compare me to those fucking Sternotheri.”
She shoves against my chest, her fury is evident and strangely intoxicating.
“I am nothing like those beasts. They have no honor, no conscience, and all they do is destroy. We are Arracate, we are the Warriors. And we are the ones who pick up the pieces.”
I step back and glare at her. She glares back. There is tension between us; the air is crackling with it.
She folds her arms in front of her body, the movement drawing attention to her breasts.
“My eyes are up here,” she snaps.
This infuriating female. “You are determined to only see the worst in every one of my actions, female.”
“Freya,” she says.
“Fr’ya.” Her name is impossible to pronounce. She disapprovingly clicks her tongue.
“Freya, don’t butcher my name.”
I try again, but I get frustrated after a few failed attempts. She glares at me, and I step into her again. “I can just call you ‘mate’.”
“Don’t even fucking think about it,” she huffs, but her pupils are blown and her breath catches. It’s over in a heartbeat, but I know I did not imagine her body reacting to my nearness.
“T’Rak,” I tell her.
“Congratulations,” she says in a weird tone. I do not understand, and she uses the momentum to shove me aside and walk away. Leaving me pining after a mate who clearly does not want me.
I cursemyself for losing control, for not knowing what to say or do. I am the captain. I am known for my control and my planning, but to let someone catch me with my dick in my hands in the hallway is unheard of.
There have always been temptations, but I never let them get to me. I knew I had a Zarra somewhere in the Galaxy. Why bother with meaningless connections if the perfect female was waiting for me?
When I stalk around the corner, I pause. Steadying myself with one hand against the wall, I let my head hang, taking a much-needed breath. The smell that is wafting towards me makes me gag. That is one way to get rid of my unruly erection.
“What did they say about the bodies? The smell near the cellblock is appalling; you cannot tell me there are no bodies buried here.”
D’Var’s response is instant.“The one they call Br’tt’ny just told me there is some sort of closet next to the cellblock, they have them stowed in there.”
I scrunch my nose; that explains the disgusting smell. Sternotheri reek when they are alive; dead Sternotheri is a whole other level.
“Meet me there, see if you can find masks,”I tell my crew before I stalk back to the cell block.
D’Var walks in from the other side of the hallway at the same time as I do and makes a face.
“That does indeed smell horrific. Let us hope O’Rec found some masks.”
“Do you know where the air vent is located?” I look around as soon as the words leave my mouth. This ship appears to be an older model. I have not encountered one like this in many years.
“Marra said they are at the back of the ship, between the engines,” O’Rec says as he joins us. He hands out masks, and we firmly put them on before we open the door to the cell block. With our own handprint this time.
Now that I am not distracted by my mate’s presence, I immediately pinpoint the closet where they stashed the bodies. One look at my crew, and I know they have it as well.
The bodies are mostly intact, except for the one missing their hand. I grimace, thinking I need to carry this literal filth, but D’Var gives us a wink and hoists the first body on his shoulders.
“Showtime.”
We work in silence while we bring the bodies towards the airlock. We need to take two tours and have to wrap the last body in a blanket because it is too heavily damaged. Looks like someone blasted off the head. I shake mine as we pile up the bodies. D’Var seals the door before he opens up the airlock. We stand there in silence as we watch the bodies float.
In that moment, grief hits me hard. I ache for my brother; he was a good male, a fine warrior. He knew what he was getting into, but the way he died was not an honorable death on a battlefield.
