Page 11 of Mated in the Stars
With a bit more pep in her step, Sara strode confidently down the narrow corridors of her ship, the hum of the engines thrumming through the hull. Even docked with the space station, the engines needed to stay on to power the rest of the ship. When she reached the brig doors, she paused briefly to gather herself mentally before facing off with the Vrak’rir again. Then she stepped forward and entered the brig.
"No more banging?" She quipped as she entered the quiet brig. It almost felt eerie to have so much quiet after he’d been so loud for so long.
From the shadows of his cell, the Vrak’rir said, "Didn't seem to be doing any good."
When Sara’s eyes landed on him, she found him lounging on the bed in his cell. His blue skin darker in the dim lighting, the black swirling tattoos seeming to be arms of the shadows wrapped around him. Arms folded behind his head, elbows sticking up like a relaxed predator, he studied her with a smirk.
Sara crossed her ankles, leaning back against a nearby console with a smoothness she rarely exhibited. She refused to let him see how much his relaxed demeanor irritated her. This wasn’t some luxury cruise. In a lot of ways, she preferred him ranting and raving. Cool calm Vrak’rir was somehow scarier… like he was beginning to calm enough to think about a possible escape.
"I figured it was time we introduce ourselves." She said, her voice cool but friendly, trying her best to mask her underlying curiosity. "I'm Sara, the captain of this vessel, and you are?"
"Don't give two shits about who you are." He growled back.
Sara raised an eyebrow. "Well," she crossed her arms. "That's not very nice. We did rescue you from dying alone in space. You’re welcome, you know.”
He snorted. "Rescue? Is that what you call sticking me in a cell? More like some new pet with the way you keep coming in here to stare at me.”
"We had no idea who you were. You were drifting in a debris field. Either you deserved it or you were some innocent who got into a bit of trouble. We have no way of knowing."
"I was just some innocent." He smirked at her, showing off his impressive set of sharp teeth.
"You? Innocent? Nope." Sara shook her head with a tight laugh. "Not going to bite. I don't believe that for a second."
"Believe what you want."
Sara pursed her lips. He wasn't going to tell her... Then her smile turned devious as a thought floated into her mind. She leaned forward slightly, voice dropping to a whisper. “Fine. You’re a tough guy. You don’t want to help me out, but I’ll be back, and when I do, you’ll give me what I need.” She leaned away from him. "Be a good boy, and we might even bring you some dinner."
A loud rumble of a growl followed her out of the brig as she turned on a heel and headed out. If he wouldn't tell her his name, then she'd have to figure out another way. And she had the perfect idea.
Chapter 4
Ak'kel watched the human female leave the brig, his sharp eyes narrowing on her hips as the doors closed behind her. He hadn't been lying when he'd threatened to rip her head from her shoulders. Not in anger. No, but in the cold-hearted certainty of a predator. Every time she entered the room, his conviction on the matter grew.
He hated being confined, especially by a human female. A fragile and insignificant creature. The stupid female had no idea who she had captive in her brig. No inkling of the true threat he presented to her ship. Sadly, she wouldn't have time to comprehend it before he ended her life.
If the universe thought one crazed Vrak’rir running around was bad. Then they'd hate to hear there were two.
Ak'kel’s history with Haldon ran back many years. A friendship turned rivalry. And to piss Ak’kel off further, the bastard had somehow found his mate. A weakness Ak’kel intended to exploit the moment he got the chance.
Haldon didn't deserve happiness, not after he bit Ak’kel in the ass and stolen territory from him. The black hearted fool probably hadn’t thought he’d find his mate, a glaring weakness that any enemy would take a stab at. A mate. A vulnerability like no other. Though some might say it was actually a benefit as it heightened a male’s senses, but if a mate was killed the other would soon follow.
A cruel smile spread over his face as he thought about finding Haldon and killing his mate in front of him. The devastation would be exquisite. It would force his rival to die in the worst way. He chuckled at the thought, the sinister soundechoing off the walls of the brig. Yeah. This would be good. Perfect even.
A sudden hissing noise snapped Ak’kel's attention out of his dark reverie. His senses tingled as he shifted, glancing over his shoulder. His eyes narrowed on the vent above his cell. White mist seeped into his cell, curling like silent fingers trying to find him.
"Fucking human!" Ak’kel hollered at the top of his lungs. "Cease this at once!"
He raised his clawed hands to the walls and scraped them against the metal before slamming a fist against one of the walls. Did she intend to kill him? What was being released into the air? Or maybe this wasn't her and something lethal from the ship was leaking into his cell.
"Human!" He hammered a fist into the wall trying to bring some attention to his predicament. “Stop this!”
"I already gave you my name." The human female’s exasperated voice came through a comm system. “And it isn’t human.”
Ak'kel growled low in his throat as he sank to his knees to get further away from the white mist slowly gathering above him. It slowly pressed down toward him, filling all the breathable air.
"Still there Vrak’rir?" She cooed in a sickly-sweet voice.
"I will kill you, female. You've sealed your fate.” Ak’kel promised darkly.
