Page 35 of Taken By the Aurelian Warriors

Otho snorts, as if to say: “Not according to me, she doesn’t.”

I ignore him.

“She’ll need clothes,” I repeat. “Especially if we keep her a few days before we make our offer, to make Mr. Carani...sweat.”

I pause before that last word, hearing the lie in my own voice.

Our plan might be to keep Carani’s daughter for a few days – but it’s not to gain a stronger negotiating position.

It’s just an excuse to draw out our time with her. The three of us plunged into this reckless course of action without a clear plan – driven half by instinct, half by her scent.

Otho growls. “Get a gag, why don’t you? I could hear her voice in through the bedroom door. Every word out of her mouth makes me ache for her.”

He’s right.

Carani’s daughter has a voice that’s as soft as liquid honey pouring down your face – drowning you in sweetness when you open your mouth for air.

Even when that intoxicating female spits out hateful words, her voice has this...qualityto it. It’s as though her voice bypasses my ears and enters my mind directly – possessing the same telepathic qualities as the communication Bond I share with my battle-brothers.

I heard her swearing at Brennan. There’s defiance in that beauty’s soul.

Also, nobility. The first thing she cared about – even when snatched from her home, terrified for her life – was the Captain of the Guards, Gerard. Not her own life –his.

That’s a pure woman – a woman you’d be proud to call your Mate.

But, she’s a woman who hates us.

“I’ll see what I can find.” I turn my eyes to my battle-brothers. “Otho, why don’t you send out the drones? Brennan, we’ll also need to rent a shuttle. We can’t pilot our Reaver around the city without bringing eyes on us. Find us a shuttle that’s at least twenty years old – running T-32 security systems, so I can hack and delete the location tracking history when we’re done with it.”

Brennan nods. Otho is checking the readout on his comms.

“I’ll set up drones at a fake location,” he explains, tapping away at the wrist-unit. “If Mr. Carani tracks them down, thinking they’re us, we’ll see what kind of men he sends to kill us.”

I take a deep breath, my chest rising. With actions decided, I feel confident now. My mind is working again–and my plan is a good one.

Mr. Carani may find out about the shuttle we rent, and he may even find the fake location our drones will mislead him to follow. In that case, we’ll see if he’s cooperating with us, in exchange for his daughter’s safety – or if he’s going to attack with brute force.

As I’ve been plotting, Brennan has been looking out the huge windows at the city down below. It’s as if he’s searching in the smoggy gloomy for a place where we can hide. The dark city below could swallow you up whole.

Then, with a sigh, Brennan sits down wearily at the table.

I know what’s on his mind, even without feeling it through the Bond we share. Brennan had to be in the bedroom alone withher– and if I’d been in his situation, I don’t know if I could have maintained control of myself.

But kidnapping is one thing. Taking a woman by force is another.

That’s the truest evil that can be committed – the greatest act of savagery. No matter how much I might ache for Carani’s beautiful daughter, I willnotsuccumb to the Old Ways – when Aurelians acted as if humansbelongedto our species; and we kept women as nothing more than slaves to our desires.

There’s a reason they call them the ‘old’ ways. Sometimes, old things need to die.

I swallow hard, my cock surging at the thought of that gorgeous girl in the bedroom next door. I imagine her on her knees, looking up at me with pure lust filling those big, beautiful eyes.

Brennan nods, and the movement snaps me from my lustful imaginings.

“Yes. Go get supplies, Lazar. Otho – send out the drones. We need to find a location we can slip in and out of unnoticed. Then, we’ll open communications with Mr. Carani.”

Otho and I began grabbing our stuff. Brennan continues talking:

“Make sure you get enough food. I don’t know how much human women eat.” He paused. “Bloody Hell, what do theywear? It seems women on every planet have their own different style.”

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