Page 6 of Zayrik

I came to a halt at the sight of a wounded human female pointing a blaster at my head.

“Turn around and walk away.”

I arched a brow.Seriously?

The universe had a terrible sense of timing and an even worse sense of humor.

“You do realize you’re on my ship?” I kept my voice casual, like finding armed, bleeding women aboard my vessel was a minor inconvenience rather than a security breach.

Her stance was solid, her navy-blue eyes defiant despite the pain. But her grip was unsteady.

Her brown hair was messy around her face, high cheekbones and tiny nose, making her seem less lethal than her tone suggested. Like finding a knife with a decorative handle. Pretty until it cuts you.

Thief.

Her gaze locked onto mine. Wild with pain. But also, something else. Determination. The kind I recognized from looking in mirrors before impossible missions.

“Last warning.”

My attention flicked to the blaster. Then her bloodied side. Then back to her face. A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.

“You planning to pass out before or after you steal the ship?” Not my most diplomatic approach, but honesty seemed the practical course when dealing with someone about to collapse.

She fought to hold steady. Fought to keep control. The stubborn set of her jaw reminded me of another lost cause. Myself, convincing the Protectorate I belonged.

But her fingers trembled, then slipped. The blaster clattered onto the metal floor.

And her body followed. An AI voice, seemingly from her wrist device, exclaimed, “Oh, wonderful! This should go well.”

I took a step toward her, reaching to help. My instincts betraying my better judgment.

Something small and pissed off launched at my face. I jerked back, barely avoiding getting my eyes clawed out.

A tiny creature, snarling, snapping, full of pure rage, latched onto my shoulder instead.

“What the—?”

I grabbed the little Laupin mid-air, holding it at arm’s length. It wriggled and hissed like I’d personally insulted its ancestors.

“I get it, little guy,” I said, shifting my gaze to the unconscious female. “You’re protecting her. But she’s bleeding out, and unless you want her dead, I need to help her.”

The creature let out a sharp trill.

The female’s wrist device AI chimed in again. Tone dry. “Zephyr, Nyla will die if he does not help her.”

The little bodyguard hesitated, then reluctantly dropped to the floor. I waited for another lunge. Instead, he just glared. Tail twitching, protective as hell.

Still watching me like it might rip my throat out if I moved wrong. Smart creature. I wasn’t entirely sure it was wrong to be suspicious.

I crouched beside the female, taking in the pale cast to her skin, the slow but steady rise and fall of her chest. She was small. And for a second, something in my chest twisted. Hard and unwelcome.

Something primal and unexpected shifted inside me.

“Focus,” I muttered to myself. This was a security breach, not a rescue mission.

She needed medical attention. Fast. I scooped her up, surprised by how right she felt in my arms.

Too right.

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