Page 101 of Mated on Live

Korvii looked completely gobsmacked. “Hated you? Where would you get that idea!?”

“You’re constantly trying to one up me and bragging about how much better you are than me.”

“Yeah,” Korvii agreed, like that was obvious and his argument as well.

Serval stared at him, understanding dawning slowly.

Because the domini were a competitive race. They believed in fighting, in combat, and in being loud and proud at all times. He hadn’t been taunting Serval all these years. He had been, in his challenging, annoying, domini way, playing with him.

Like friends, chasing each other in a rip tide or racing a current, he had been doing all that because he liked Serval, not because he was trying to surpass him professionally.

Korvii frowned at his silence, cocking his head. “Serval? We are friends, aren’t we?”

“Oh, deep spirits, I think we are,” Serval muttered in disbelief.

Korvii had been doing all this out of affection. And Serval had always risen to his challenge because he was annoying. But he never had to. He could have just ignored him and his prodding and let his stories and success speak for themselves.

But he hadn’t done that.

Because they were friends.

In whatever weird, competitive, annoying way they shared, they were actually friends.

He did not have the time he needed to process this.

“We should go,” he said, turning to the door.

Korvii was smiling again, hitting his shoulder as he ran out, chasing after Lucky who was, again, leading them.

“Come on! Race you to the entrance!”

Serval growled, annoyed.

But he ran after him. He was even somewhat amused when Hela outpaced both of them, laughing as Lucky guided them away from any potential enemies and dangers. Right to the stairs that led up and out to the door that was now unlocked and unguarded – no doubt, the male who had been standing there before had been drawn down by all the noise.

The market itself was dissipating. Fading like fog in the sun. None of these people were the types to linger as strange, suspicious booms rocked the ground from below. They were taking no chances and were pulling up their hatches and bailing.

And above them all, flitting around quickly, were his fleet of combots. Sophie at their helm. Seeing everything.

Recording everything.

A flash of light in the sky announced the presence of the large, beautiful, shining silver peacekeeper vessel as it descended into the atmosphere.

Chapter 37

Sophie

Sitting cross-legged in the big pilot chair, five different screens, each broken into four different camera POVs were spread before her, Sophie’s eyes and hands moved quickly across the controls as she guided the combot fleet.

She didn’t know what angle Serval was chasing on this story, but she didn’t care about breaking his cover. If he wanted to get captured, if that was some part of a grand plan, he should have told her that before leaving so she wouldn’t worry when it happened.

As it was, when she had Lucky fly over the market and spotted him in the distance falling to the ground, she acted immediately. The fleet all rushed out of the landing pod and snuck into the large hatch that opened allowing a group of big, scary looking aliens to grab her mate, his friend, and his mate and drag them inside.

She watched as Korvii came back around and struggled, needing to be restrained twice. But Serval didn’t move. Even when they harshly yanked his olules back and locked them up. Whatever they hit him with, it acted fast and hard.

But they were so focused on their three new captives, they didn’t see the army of combots she had floating in the corners overhead.

As Hela was separated for questioning, Sophie was sending her little combots floating off along the corners of the high ceilings. She found the control room. She broke things in the control room. She caused chaos and trouble. So far, she’d lost six combots – four to her own attempts at destruction, two to being caught and broken. But she still had more.

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