Page 83 of The Alien Warrior's Mate

“Here.” Korben pulled out his interface.

After pressing a button, an image of his brother projected out of the tiny pinhole. Clavas knelt between two Heronas guards, both arms stretched out and shackled to metal stakes. He was naked except for a scrap of loin cloth. His hair lay in tangled heaps in front of his bruised eyes.

“A human female for your brother.” Ziag, a Heronas elite, made the offer. “You have five sun rotations.” He gestured to Clavas. “Bring the human or we will make sure he suffers until he draws his last breath.”

Korben winced, his stomach twisting into knots. This was only his third time watching the footage. It hurt much worse today, almost like scratching at a wound that had begun to scab.

Sara covered her mouth in horror. “I had no idea.”

“My intentionswereto turn you over to the Heronas. But, when my connection to you grew, giving you up became impossible.” He gestured outside. “So I considered offering one of your comrades, but knowing how much that would hurt you made that option impossible to consider as well.”

She eased closer to him. “You must have been under so much pressure. And I didn’t make it easier.”

“You are my family, Sah-ah.” He met her eyes firmly. “And so is Clavas. I would do anything to protect you both—giving my life is only the beginning.”

“I know that, Korben. But if your brother’s anything like me, he wouldn’t want you to give your life for his. And he wouldn’t want you to take anyone else’s for his sake either.” Her hands flew up. “Why didn’t you just tell me? We could have skipped all the drama.”

He caressed her wrist and felt her pulse thrum against his fingertips. “I should not have hidden this from you.”

“It’s okay.” She pressed her hand against his chest. “And I…” She paused. Licked her lips. “I should have trusted you instead of—”

“No. You were only acting on the facts that you knew.”

“I was protecting myself.” Her lips quivered. “Deep down, I knew you would never betray me. I just… I needed something to use as a shield. Something to put some distance between us because… I love you, Korben. And that’s about the scariest thing I’ve discovered here—more than Rulari guards and wasps and crazy storms. I love you, and I’m afraid I’ll end up like my sister for making that choice.”

He wrapped his arms around her. “You and your heras are both safe with me. My commitment to you is worth the price of my life.”

“But not your brother’s.” She leaned away. “Or the Healer’s.”

His heras trembled. “Sah-ah…”

“All Plutonians depend on the Healer. Little Kenzi…” She swallowed. “If she ever gets sick, she’ll need that Healer guy to do his energy thing on her. We can’t leave your brother in that prison. We can’t let the Heronas have the Healer.”

They were up against an obstacle greater than he had ever faced and yet Korben could not help but smile. He much preferred his Sah-ah working with him than attacking him with furious lust-filled eyes.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Sah-ah asked.

“Because having you by my side makes me feel like the strongest Plutonian in the galaxy.”

She rolled her eyes, but a smile flirted with her lips. “How much time do you have left to rescue them? What’s the plan?”

“I am still working on that.” He escorted her out of the cabin.

“If you need a human decoy,” Sah-ah squeezed his fingers, “I—”

“Not an option.”

She frowned. “Korben—"

“It is too dangerous.” The cabin came into view and he gritted his teeth, eager to be done with this matter. “But your visit just gave me an idea.”

“If it involves round two, I need a minute.”

Korben found laughter budding in his chest.

Sah-ah stubbornly returned to the subject. “I want to go with you.”

“Neh.”

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