Page 77 of Sawoots Story

Tar’ank closes up the back of the ship as the triads of Aurelians dust their hands off, bowing their heads to Tar’ank. He used to be their size. Now he stands a head taller. The Bond is changing him, making him grow taller, bigger, stronger, and more ferocious. Tar’ank was born of a cryo-bay, like all the other Aurelians onThe Instigator, but he will live to see his sons. It’s a rare honor for the species.

I look at Garrick’s Reaver, uneasy. It’s one thing to know the ships are powered by an Orb. It’s another to know that hugethingis lurking in the cargo hold with enough power to level a city.

“Garrick, can we take one of the new Reavers?”

He looks down at me, his brows furrowed. “Don’t fear. Orbs cannot hurt you on their own. They can be wielded as a weapon, or to power shields, but they require us to decide.”

I run my tongue over my gums, thinking it over. I’m not convinced. “I saw the explosion when we took out the Toad mothership. The Orbs…added to the destruction. I’d feel more comfortable in the other Reaver.”

This is new to me. Showing vulnerability. Before I met Garrick and his triad, I would have strode down there and sat on the chest, dangling my legs and just daring it to do something to me. Now…I’m not playing a part.

“Then we’ll take one of the new Reavers.” Garrick doesn’t argue with me.

“Hey! Come on down!” Tar’ank’s voice booms up at us, echoing in the loading bay. He’s unsated, but he keeps his need at bay, giving me a wide grin. “I loaded up your clothes in the bedroom, but I say you wear dresses on the trip!”

“Oh? You want me on display? My style not revealing enough for you?” I yell down at him, picturing the tiny little dresses they love to put me in. They’re all vibrant colors, so sheer you can see my body through them. It’s more revealing than being naked. My own, simple clothes, are the polar opposite of the seductive slips.

I walk down the metal steps, my footsteps echoing out. I walk up to him, putting my hand on my hip challengingly. I want to see if he can repress the edge he feels from being pushed away instead of taking me alongside the leader of the triad. “I just don’t want to get in trouble when I rip your favorite clothes apart to get to you,” he growls, and I gasp as he grabs me, picking me up and twirling me in the air.

“Put me down, you big lunk!” I yell, smacking him on the shoulder as the loading bay swirls around me, dizzying colors. Amusement flows through the Bond from the three of them, and I might as well be a fly for all the good my blows do. Tar’ank’s deep laugh booms out, the edge of aggression in his aura calming. He was a beast when I met him. Now he’s so much more.

He sets me down in front of him, and his grin is hungry on his broad-jawed face. I like his buzzed look, similar but so much better than the hard men I used to toy with back in my single days, and I like the contrast to Markrin’s light, pretty-boy looks that have grown on me. Tar’ank wants me. He always wants me, and he can barely control it.

“Patience, trust me, it’ll be worth it,” I say, running my hand against his chest and looking up at him.

“Sawoot!” I hear a familiar voice from behind me. I turn to greet Theme, who’s running down the stairs like an excited child. He clears his throat nervously, stopping a good twenty feet away from the triad of three huge Aurelians who flank me.

“Give him a little space, he’s harmless,”I telepath to my triad. They step back, giving each other a look and checking over the brand new Reavers together to give me some space with the skittish technician.

“Hey Theme! I’m glad I ran into you before we go. What does the future have in store for you?”

He looks down, walking closer to me. He’s never been good at making eye contact with me—or any woman, for that matter. He looks up, wringing his hands. “Well, I was hoping we could work something out. I heard you’ve got a space station that’s just coming up and running…a space station that might need upgrading to switch to Orb Power. I’ve studied the schematics. If you’d have me, I could—”

I cut off his sales pitch by raising my hand. “Theme, you beautiful bastard.” He grins, a little embarrassed. “Name your price. Hell, I’ll double it, as long as you can wait until our shipyard and factory are making a profit to pay you.”

“Thanks, Sawoot. You know, with Orb power, your margins are going to be way better. I’ve looked at the profit margins on repair factories and generally the power bill alone can drag down the bottom line by…”

I stop listening when he rattles off numbers and percentages, and when he catches a breath to keep hammering on about the fine details of running a business, I step forward and put my hand on his shoulder. He tenses up, and I pull away, feeling a little guilty to get into his personal space. “That all sounds amazing. You’re going to be an amazing addition to our team.”

He beams at me. “I’m so glad. Which Reaver has the Orb?”

I point to Garrick’s Reaver. He looks at it wistfully, not wanting to be rude and ending the conversation when he feels I just did him a massive favor. Truth is, I didn’t even think about the technicalities of switching to Orb power. I figured the Aurelians had it covered.

“That one. Go on, check it out. You know you want to. I’m glad to have a familiar face tagging along. You can take that Reaver, the autopilot will get you to the station alongside us. You’ll be able to figure it out pretty easy. Think of it as your first test.”

“I won’t fail. Thank you, Sawoot,” answers Theme seriously, not realizing I was teasing him. He takes off at a walk so fast I know he’s consciously trying not to run to the Reaver. He stops in front of it, and I go to help him, scanning my watch against the panel so it opens for him. He steps into the craft, looking so tiny in the ship made for the giant alien species.

“You might need a little help opening the chest, big guy. Markrin! Can you come help Theme?”

Markrin comes out of the second Reaver, stretching, and smiles at me. “Not a problem. Hey Theme, wait up!” he yells at Theme, treating him like an equal. The two seem like they could be fast friends, as long as Theme gets over his nervousness around the aliens. He was in their jail cells not that long ago.

I glance over at the third Reaver. It’s empty. Two weeks distant from the triad could be good for me to get my mind back, but I know I wouldn’t last an hour before I docked our ships and went into their arms. Even without the Bond, I couldn’t resist them. As much as inwardly I worry about the future and what the Bond could do to me, I don’t want to be apart from them. Not when we’re building our life together.

I just hope the Bond doesn’t get more intense.

Tar’ank peeks his head out of the second Reaver. He licks his lips, and I groan. “Tar’ank, give me a minute to recuperate. Garrick just did a number on me,” I say, unembarrassed. I’ve never been shy about sex.

“Your wish is my command. Meet me in my room in sixty seconds,” he says, disappearing into the ship. I groan. I should have said ten minutes—but I’m already craving his touch. I look around the cockpit. Garrick is seated at the controls. It looks identical to their ship. Reavers are mass produced by the Aurelian Empire, but instead of belonging to the state, they are granted to the aliens after their one hundred years of service to the Aurelian Army. With the powerful vessels, some choose to make their own fortune in the stars, while others relax in their estates on Colossus and collect women like toys.

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