Page 32 of Mated in the Stars
"It wasn't an ion storm or some space creature." Sara snapped. "It was you. I don't think my crew would support this. There’s no way they would follow the Vrak’rir who’s been hunting us.”
"If I can convince them?" Ak’kel smirked down at her.
This time, she folded her arms across her chest. "Fine. If you can convince them."
"You will live on my ship and let me court you?"
"Umm.” Sara felt a blush heat her cheeks. “Sure." Because Sara knew there was no way Cat would agree to work with or for this Vrak’rir.
Chapter 11
"What?" Sara's jaw dropped when she met with her crew in the mess hall once she’d been released from the medical bay. It felt nice being back inside her ship, although, she did feel thankful that Ak’kel had ended her nightmare once and for all. Her ex could no longer find her. She’d managed to find a picture of him, and Ak’kel had confirmed it’d been the human male they’d killed.
"We've agreed to be a part of his crew." Cat smiled.
"But... but..." Sara stammered unable to comprehend this.
Cat shrugged. "He annoyed me at first, but he has deep pockets."
"Very deep." Berg nodded. "None of us have to work again."
"But we like scavenging." Sara argued. Had everyone gone insane? "You can't say you wouldn't be bored in a matter of weeks. I know every single one of you." She pointed to each of them in turn.
"That's why we also bargained with him to create a scavenging business." Cat said triumphantly. “A scavenging business under his name and financed by his credits. We even get some of his men and ships so we are better defended.”
“No more waiting for others to finish a good scavenge.” Berg laughed. “Now we can get the best scavenges.”
"And he agreed?" Sara’s brow furrowed. She couldn’t process what they were telling her. Ak’kel was financing their scavenging? They didn’t make that much money at it to be any use to him and his empire of crime.
"And," Berg's smile widened, "we convinced him to let us continue using the old rust bucket that you love so much."
Sara narrowed her eyes. "What's the catch?"
"We have to upgrade your ship." Berg tensed, knowing she might not react well to this piece of news. "We have to add better weapons, defenses, engines, etc."
To say she was stunned would be an understatement.
"Who will be the captain?" Her heart broke to think she wouldn't be the one on board guiding them to their next large haul.
"You. Duh." Cat rolled her eyes with a snort.
"But... I'm his mate. He won't let me go far." Sara doubted he’d run his crime empire from her rust bucket.
"Which is why we will always be within sensor range and if he can spare it, there will be at least one warship trailing us." Cat smiled. "We thought of everything."
It seemed they had and that warmed her heart more than anything. "The best crew a captain could ask for." Sara felt tears prick at the sides of her eyes. Maybe being the mate of a Vrak’rir wasn't all that bad after all. It appeared he wasn’t about to drag her away from the life she’d built. He only wanted to ensure she did it safer, which honestly, she was happy with because they’d run into trouble a time or two when bigger, meaner ships had pushed them away from debris fields.
All of her crew swarmed her in a giant group hug.
"It's been a blast." Berg agreed.
"Love the danger." Cat laughed.
"Always get to try something new, like drugging a Vrak’rir." Hunter laughed. “Just please don’t make me do it again.”
"To a new adventure." Sara tossed in.
"A safer one." Cat laughed. "With an army of Vrak’rir at our backs, we'll get our pick of scavenges."
