Pirate's Gold - S.J. Sanders Page 0,47

gave everything to him. Although we do not expect our females to vanquish our enemies, we still give the oath to acknowledge that they are sacrificing to open their household to accept their mate that he might join her family.” He dropped his head, his lips grazing her jaw. “You deserve no less honors—you who have given up more than most Argurma females to be mine.”

“Yeah, well, it was a pretty good trade, I think,” she replied softly. “I left a pretty miserable life to have one in the stars with my big mate. I wouldn’t make any other decision.”

He paused, an uncertainty flashing over his face. “You have been restless and less happy of late. It has been distressing.”

Terri glanced away to hide her guilt. “I haven’t been unhappy… just… unable to find where I fit in. You’re so determined to protect me that you keep me away from everything, and suddenly it feels like I’m no longer living. This is the most living I’ve really done since the incident on the space station. This wasn’t how I thought it was going to be… but I also understand. Azan made me realize that you’ve had to protect me. I’m not strong enough.”

His eyes closed, his expression pained before he opened them again. “Anastha, you are strong. Too strong. It makes me worry that others will attempt to hurt you and take you away from me.”

“And physically too weak to defend myself. You can say it, Veral. I know it’s the truth.”

“I dislike this truth more than any other,” he muttered, his tone laced with resentment. “I do not wish my mate to fear or experience pain. But I do not wish to snuff out your joy.”

“Yeah.” She sighed. “This human stuff kinda sucks when it comes to playing out in the universe.”

“I will protect you,” he growled.

“And I love that, but I need to protect me too. Especially when we have our baby. I have to be able to protect them and myself if, for whatever reason, you’re not there. I can’t be helpless when we have a baby to care for.”

A long, ragged sigh escaped him, and he nodded. “We will find an answer.”

16

Veral did not want to let her go, but as the hour grew later, he knew he had no choice. His civix retreated back into his sheath, and eventually he forced his arms to release his mate. Sitting on the bed, he watched sadly as she also sat up.

She had used a scrap of cloth she found to wipe between her legs and was now bending to pick up her armor. Soon they would return to the other room, where danger would constantly surround her once more. He would have to sneak her by the males on guard and leave her with nothing more for protection than the fierce female Blaithari.

He hated to give that up to her. Everything in him protested.

He should be the one protecting and caring for his mate, not watching from afar while another did it. It made him feel dishonored and the mate bond distressed, though he knew that much was largely within his mind. To his instincts, Azan was an unwelcome intruder.

“Oww! What the fuck?” Terri shrieked as she jerked her right hand up to her chest, her left clamped tightly over it.

He rose to his feet and leaped over the bed, his sensors scanning as he searched for the threat. “What is it?”

Something scurried among the debris, circling around. Veral yanked Terri into his arms, a snarl vibrating in his chest as he tracked the movement. The energy signature coming from it was not organic. It was similar to that of the Elshavan uplinks.

He froze in surprise. What could possibly still be operational after all that time?

“Something under the bed clawed me,” she hissed out in pain. “What the hell was it?”

She pulled away her left hand to look at the blood beading on the cut and dripping down her wrist. Veral growled and pulled her toward him, his senses extended as his systems collected the surrounding information and his vibrissae twisted anxiously around him.

It was slipping through the rubble, drawing closer. Veral’s vibrissae rattled, a low hiss rising in his throat as the thing zigzagged. It moved almost as if it had a sort of program designed to mimic intelligence as it stalked closer. He watched it warily, tracking its every movement. It seemed to move farther away, but at the last minute it turned and rushed