Fated Mate Conquered - Luna Voss Page 0,53

suddenly looking worried. “You still need to book us. The station is the other way.”

“I told you, we’re booking you after we leave the Tajiki Comet,” the officer closest to him replies. “Now shut the fuck up.”

I scan the hangar as we walk, searching for an Imperial ship. To my surprise, I don’t see one. To my even greater surprise, it seems like we’re moving in the direction of the Epeshi pirate ship we took to get here.

The Imperial officers stop us just outside of the Epeshi ship. I glance at Turan, worried. Is that how they found us? Did they discover our ship?

“Do you have any idea who you’re dealing with?” the Dajorkan lieutenant demands, his antenna standing straight up with indignation. “And don’t you have some kind of procedure to follow? This treatment is outrageous. Governor Ferguson will—”

One of the officers raises his gun and shoots the Dajorkan clean in the head. The other one screams, his eyes wide, and the officer shoots him too. Both aliens fall to the ground dead.

“What the fuck?” Rizban screams, fear and surprise evident in his voice. “What the fuck are you doing?”

The other UPE guard’s gun crackles with blue sparks, and he presses it against Rizban’s back, zapping him into unconsciousness. The Voorian collapses, hitting his head hard on the ground. I stare in absolute shock. I have no idea what is happening.

Both officers start to pull off their helmets, and I watch in amazement. And then understanding dawns as their faces are revealed: the UPE security guards are none other than Rojan and Geddion, clearly wearing the armor they lifted from the stolen prison ship. I’m numb with relief as they unlock Turan’s and my beam-cuffs.

Geddion grins at Turan and hands him his gun. Now in charge, my mate stalks over to the two humans, danger written all over his face.

“The Butarza Family has no direct quarrel with the human mob,” he snarls. “And so I’m allowing you both to live. But you’re going to tell your bosses about this. You’re going to tell them that when the Red Star Boys betrayed us, we killed their lieutenant in their own casino. You’re going to tell them that when the Gordulla Family betrayed us, we captured their leader’s son. And you’re going to tell your bosses that if they do even one credit’s worth of business with either the Red Star Boys or the Gordulla Family, they’re going to face the same. Those two groups don’t exist anymore. They’re off-limits, and anyone who works with them is subject to death. Pass that message on.”

The human gang members nod fervently, looking terrified. Turan smiles, then knocks both of them out with his stun gun.

“Load Rizban onto the ship,” he orders Rojan and Geddion. “Someone will have heard the commotion. We’re flying out of here.”

20

Kora

I sit in my room in the Epeshi ship as we fly away from the Tajiki Comet, fuming. I’m glad that we captured Rizban Gordulla and successfully finished the mission. That’s good.

But the fact that Turan didn’t even bother to tell me about his plan, that he let me believe we were really being captured by the UPE? That infuriates me. Does he really trust me so little? Does he really think I’m just his arm candy, to be paraded around when it’s convenient, locked in my room when it isn’t, and kept in the dark about anything important?

On the one hand, I guess I can kind of understand what he was going for. Maybe he thought my reactions would be more realistic if I didn’t know what was going on. But I’m supposed to be his fucking mate. His partner. Someone he can trust and rely on.

This doesn’t feel like trust. And it certainly doesn’t feel like love. I find myself feeling trapped. Trapped by the situation. Trapped by the mark on my neck. Trapped by the fact that Voorians mate for life. All the little moments where Turan didn’t seem to take me seriously, I could brush off. Although maybe I shouldn’t have. But I can’t brush this off. I feel betrayed. I feel undervalued. I don’t feel close to him at all.

“Kora? Do you want to come out and eat?” It’s Turan, calling through the door.

“No,” I respond, hating the little rush of affection his voice still brings me. It’s not that I don’t want him. I do want him. I just want a version of him that keeps me in the loop, that treats me