of the way in.
The door slammed, almost taking Nokx’s head off, and EJ fell back, breathing hard. By Copernicus’s quadrant, that was close. That was too close.
But they weren’t in the clear yet.
The other Slasu crowded around the doors, firing at the pod with everything they had. EJ ducked and scrambled to get in the nav seat again. She hit release and the pod lurched with a sickening jolt. Boosters fired to push it away from the Hollbrd. EJ couldn’t relax. Not yet.
She put the boosters on max power to get distance, just in case the Slasu tried to get the other pod operational. EJ pulled the comms puck out and twisted it, hoping against hope that Violet or someone would actually answer, and a crackle betrayed something passed through it. Someone listened.
Her entire body shook as she set the pod to autopilot to safety, through the dozen ships speeding around and firing at each other, and staggered to fall on her knees next to Nokx. He did not look good. At all.
“You fool,” she muttered. “You are such an idiot. What were you thinking?”
He groaned something and dug his heels into the floor, trying to push himself somewhere else. EJ blinked rapidly to dispel sudden tears. This was not how things were going to go. He was not going to die on the floor of the escape pod. She got the med packs from the trunk near the back and started pulling things apart, the breath sobbing in her throat, until they covered Nokx and tried to keep him alive.
The escape pod jolted again and stopped moving, the boosters complaining and backfiring to redirect. EJ froze, crouching over Nokx, and stared out the viewing panel near the navigator terminal. The rest of the strength left her legs and she collapsed on the bench.
The mystery ship, the massive Aldrin-class Fleet battleship, had captured the escape pod. And it dragged them slowly to the gaping maw of a loading bay.
The fight seeped out of EJ as she stared hopelessly at the approaching disaster. What else could possibly go wrong?
Chapter 46
Nokx
Fire consumed his chest. Nokx groaned and clenched his teeth. He snarled as the fire spread and his memory snapped back. Slasu. Trying to get to EJ. Trying to hurt EJ.
He swung his fist and connected with something solid. He bared his teeth, struggling to see in the bright lights that surrounded him, and braced for the ripping claws. The Slasu fought dirty and wouldn’t wait for him to get to his feet.
If he could even stand.
Something landed across his legs like a dead haugmawt. A voice growled in his ear, “Be still, brother.”
He didn’t recognize the speaker. Male, using Xarav, but no brother of his. Nokx arched his back, struggling to break free as the weight remained and something else wrapped around his arms. Trapped him.
Fire blazed up along every inch of him and he snarled in pain.
The Xarav-speaking voice snapped right back at him. “You’re injured. Dying. If you do not stay still, you will not see your mate again.”
That word cut through the fog of panic. His mate. His mate. EJ. “Where?”
“She’s here,” the stranger said. “You’re safe. Do not fight.”
It sounded like a trap, like something the Slasu would pull to convince him to surrender to captivity. Except no Xaravian would cooperate with the Slasu, not even on pain of death. Better to die than to work with that scum. He groaned and tried to lift his head. “Identify yourself.”
“Pyix, son of Myrex,” the voice said. “You are on the Lovelace.”
“Rebels?”
“Of a sort,” Pyix said. He sounded amused. “We serve a specific mission. Now rest and let the reju work. I will send your mate to you when they are finished.”
Nokx growled that another male would talk to his mate, would see EJ before he did, and tensed his shoulders in anticipation of a fight. The other Xaravian grumbled and added, “Fine, I will send her with a female officer. Relax, warrior.”
It didn’t make him feel much better, but it was enough. He relaxed his fists and breathed deeply. If it was a ruse, he would make the son of a sandsnake pay. He had no idea what happened after he jumped at the escape pod, but apparently EJ found a way to get them free. His chest swelled with pride at his mate, his fierce little marmox.
Chapter 47
Nokx
He woke alone and feeling almost healed. The major pain had melted away, but he ached all over, could eat