Page 9 of Marked for Vengeance
Joy giggled. Actually fucking giggled. Were they all losing their minds?
“You must be related. Only family bicker like that,” Joy said.
Loris poked her with her toe again. “Stop laughing. We’re trying to look intimidating.”
“I think that ship has left orbit,” Maddison said from her spot deeper inside the shuttle. Her friend managed to keep her voice steady, but there was no missing the edge to her words.
“We are clan-brothers,” Havoc confirmed. Then he bared his fangs and snarled at the one they called Vengeance. “Disarm, brother. The hunt is over.”
The hunt? Loris caught her breath. They’d said they were headed to the crash site to offer their assistance. Something told her these three hadn’t told them the whole truth. They’d been on the hunt for something.
Her eyes narrowed. If they thought the three of them were prey to be tracked down and pounced on, they were going to be disappointed.
The cocky one held out one hand to her as he gracefully returned his blade to the scabbard on his back. “I am disarmed, little warrior. Now it’s your turn.”
She shot him her most intimidating glower and muttered, “Who does he think he’s calling little?” Then it struck her that compared to Vengeance, she was almost petite. Okay, not really, but he was bigger than her by every metric she could think of.
He must have thought the same way because he thumped a fist to his broad chest and laughed. “You are small compared to me. Tiny, but fierce.”
Loris lowered her weapon. It was time for a little trust. But only a little. “I think you just insulted me and complimented me in the same sentence. Call me Loris.” She pointed down and then into the depths of the shuttle. “That’s Joy, and Maddison is inside.”
The three males roamed around the small camp, commenting to each other in low tones Loris couldn’t quite make out. She got the sense they were assessing the situation. Risk kept looking over at the shuttle. Was he thinking about flying off with their only escape vehicle? Maybe, but it wasn’t likely to happen. The ship’s systems had shut down the moment they’d landed. They’d tried everything they could think of, but none of them knew how to unlock the controls, and they’d been afraid that anything they tried might lead to them damaging something important.
Eventually the three males wandered over to the campfire.
“If you want a place to sit, you’ll have to find something yourselves,” Joy said.
“Why are there only two spots to sit when there are three of you?” Risk asked.
“Because one of us is injured and can’t move around easily,” Loris explained.
To her surprise, all three looked concerned. “Is it serious? Can we do anything to help?” Havoc asked.
Vengeance looked her way, his golden eyes gleaming brightly in the light of the setting sun. “Is it you, little warrior? If it is, I will carry you to the fire and let you sit on my lap as we talk.”
She stiffened. Why was he saying that crap? Was he mocking her? Or was this simply a cultural thing? Did he not realize his words could be taken as flirting? That had to be it because it hadbeen more than a decade since anyone had dared to flirt with her, and that last time had been the result of a drunken bet.
She met his gaze and did her best to look unimpressed. Hopefully he’d get the message. “It’s nothing serious, and it’s not me. And I told you to stop calling me that. My name is Loris, not little warrior.”
Vengeance shrugged, the simple motion making his arms and chest flex slightly. “Your name is pretty, but I like my name for you better. And even if you are not hurt, my offer to carry you stands.”
Holy nukes and novas. Hewasflirting with her. She set her face into what she hoped was a stern expression, but her heart was racing as heat crept into her cheeks. The harder she tried to control it, the more flustered she got.
Damn the male to the void and back again. She wasn’t interested. He was too young for her. Hell, they weren’t even the same species. No. Just no.
Joy made a tiny sound that could have been a snicker, and Loris turned to glare at her. The professional matchmaker flashed her an innocent smile she didn’t buy for an instant.
Well, shit.
Loris went off to find the solar-powered lanterns they’d found stashed with the rest of the emergency supplies. By the time she returned, the others were seated, and Maddison was handing out a selection of self-heating meal packs.
Soon most of them were seated by the fire while Joy stayed by the shuttle door. Risk kept glancing at Joy. Or maybe he was looking at the shuttle. She couldn’t be sure.
Vengeance devoured his meal with gusto but also with surprisingly good table manners. Whowerethese males? Where were they from? Was this their home planet? She had so many questions, but they had more important matters to discuss first.
Havoc shared what he knew about the crash and the survivors. There was a lot he didn’t know, but it was comforting to hear that Clarissa, Hope, and Bella had made it. All three women had been passengers on the matchmaking cruise, and while she didn’t know any of them well, they’d seemed like decent sorts the few times they’d interacted.
Havoc confirmed that other members of their clan had already left for the crash site. They intended to care for any survivors and salvage what they could from the wreckage. Loris wasn’t sure she liked the idea of Maddison’s property being claimed by these aliens, but right now she couldn’t do much about it.
