Page 24 of Her Lawless Prince

Nyle grimaced. “We need to look at your programming. It’s glitching.”

“My self-diagnostics indicate I need blood. Otherwise, I am fully operational.” Yevgen’s eyes appeared to zoom in on Nyle. “I do not think you can say the same.”

“You’re right. I’m already fully operational. I have enough blood.”

“Perhaps you should follow behind us so we can protect you.” Yevgen pulled the ship’s wires from his arm.

“I’ll be fine. Try not to get yourself deactivated.” Nyle held his blaster at the ready and made his way toward the door. “She needs that information stored in your head.”

“Shows what you know. My information is not kept in my head. My storage is—”

“I know where it is,” Nyle quipped. “I helped design you. Now be quiet and concentrate on what we’re doing.”

8

Payton listenedto Yevgen and Nyle bickering. She growled low in her throat to shut them up before pawing at the door. She was a lady of action, and this standing around didn’t suit her. She needed them to keep moving forward. The more she thought about panicking in the holding cell, the more ashamed she became. What kind of Var warrior was she? Five hours locked in isolation, and she allowed her emotions to be blown away like a scrap of linen in the wind.

Nyle’s leg brushed her side as he ordered, “Open it.”

“I only take orders from my wife,” Yevgen stated.

Payton would have laughed if they weren’t in the middle of a serious situation. She looked at Yevgen and snorted.

“As you wish, my love,” Yevgen answered. “It will take but a moment.”

If she didn’t know better, she would have thought Yevgen purposefully tried to irritate Nyle.

Payton didn’t want to stop and think about the bizarre triangle she was starting with Yevgen and Nyle. Yevgen was her friend and, sure, technically her half mate because she’d not cared enough to naysay his claim at the time. She trusted him, and he’d saved hundreds of lives.

Nyle was her… Well, he wasn’t exactly a friend. She guessed he could be called more of a fellow prisoner. She thought about what it felt like to kiss him. Even now, she was drawn to be closer to him. But his former workplace was responsible for endangering an entire planet.

No. Endangering was too nice of a word. Cysgod was uninhabitable thanks to the virus.

But was that Nyle’s fault? He blamed himself, that much was clear. He’d also programmed Yevgen to be the Cysgodians’ protector and snuck him onto the Federation evacuation ship. He’d monitored the cyborg’s activity from space and arrived on Qurilixen to stop Yevgen’s information from being stolen. Those were not the actions of a coldhearted planet destroyer. If anything, she got the impression that he had imprisoned himself in guilt since it happened.

“Left,” Yevgen stated before the door slid open.

The sound of gliding metal jolted Payton into action. All thoughts cleared from her mind as she became singularly focused on stalking her prey. Her paws moved silently, following the grated lines of the ship’s corridor. Her heart beat hard and steady. The hunt was easier to face than sitting in a cell waiting for the future to happen.

Payton listened past the sound of Yevgen and Nyle’s feet. A soft shuffling drew her attention, and she turned down another corridor. She lowered her head and lengthened her stride. The men’s footsteps quickened to keep up with her.

The animal inside of her liked the hunt, needed anything that would get her mind out of the cage. She kept her breathing even. The footfalls came closer.

Payton charged around the corner, ready to fight. She lifted a paw.

“Payton, no!” Nyle jumped in front of her.

Payton watched him sweep a humanoid child into his arms. She instantly retracted her claws.

The boy cried out and began kicking and throwing his arms wildly. “Let. Me. Go!”

The boy’s heel smashed into Nyle’s thigh. Nyle grunted in pain and fell against the wall.

“Yevgen, open that door,” Nyle ordered.

Yevgen tapped on the hand scanner. The door to the sleeping quarters opened.

Nyle pushed the squirming kid inside. “Stay.”

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