ion cannon, but whoever was chasing us wasn’t going to like it. “Shadow, light ‘em up.”
“Shooting to kill, Captain.” I heard the sounds of the blasters, but the structural stabilizers minimized the vibrations.
Zara turned to look at me. “What did he just say?”
It was my turn to laugh. “I did a bit of specialty programming.” I watched with great satisfaction as the ship which had been following us disengaged and a few seconds later disappeared from radar. “Hunting Hive ships can be intense. I couldn’t stand all of the official language and protocol.”
Zara smiled at me as she inspected every inch of my bare body.
“Proximity alert cancelled. They are running scared. Should I pursue?”
Normally, if we were hunting Hive, I would say yes. Hive parts were my livelihood, and I couldn’t normally let them get away. But this time, I was the one being hunted. Or, rather, Zara was. It sure as fark wasn’t me. And I didn’t care for the feeling of being prey. “Negative. Get us to Transport Station Zenith as fast as you can.”
“Lighting my ass on fire, Captain.”
I checked the readings for damage, relieved to find there was little to none from the surprise attack. My ship was small but heavily armored and fast as they came.
“They’ll be back, won’t they?” she asked, glancing out the window as if she could see the craft that had been attacking.
I leaned back and unhooked my straps. Zara did the same. When she was free of the restraints, I stood and lifted her to her feet to stand before me. Her breasts with those small gold hoops and chain were right in front of my face. Fark.
“Who are you?”
She frowned. “I already told you.”
Slowly, I shook my head. “No. Who are you? Why are you being followed? You’re not just an Interstellar Bride. You can’t be. What does Cerberus Legion want from you?”
It made no sense. A female who’d only arrived in space was wanted—and chased—by Cerberus legion from Rogue 5.
“I have no idea.”
Tilting her head up so I could look directly into her eyes, I asked again. “Zara, no female is worth this much trouble. Even a female from Earth wouldn’t be worth the fuel and the missiles they fired at my ship. What aren’t you telling me?”
She shook her head before I finished speaking. “I swear, I have no idea. I signed up to be an Interstellar Bride, to get out of the shitshow that my life had turned into. I took the test, woke up on Trion, and Bertok was there, waiting to kill my mate. That’s all I know.”
She seemed sincere, but something wasn’t right. “What about your life on Earth? Are you royal? Would they want to ransom you to a wealthy family?”
That made her grunt with apparent disdain then begin to laugh. “God, could you imagine?” she asked although it seemed to be a rhetorical question, so I remained quiet. “I grew up poor, Isaak. Ghetto. We never had money. I didn’t go to college. My neighborhood was run by gangs and drug dealers. Even the cops steered clear. I’m not special. I’m nobody.”
The finality of her words, the absolute conviction behind them made me angry. “You are Zara of Trion. You are strong and fearless and beautiful.” And mine. I fought with myself not to speak the last two words aloud. I could not make promises I knew I could not keep. She had shared her body with me but had not surrendered her heart, and that was for the best.
No matter that everything within me hated the knowing. Wanted not just her heart but her soul. Everything. I wanted everything.
Guess my father had been right. I was just a selfish bastard after all. I had nothing to offer this beautiful female. Nothing. I shouldn't even be touching her, fark, speaking to her. She was well out of my reach.
Telling my conscience to shut up, I pulled her close and wrapped my arms around her. She shivered and melted into the warmth I offered. While I liked her bare, the ship wasn’t thermally set to her small body. The adrenaline of the chase was wearing off, but I had never experienced the withdrawal bare.
“What now?” she asked.
“Now we go to Transport Station Zenith and meet with Ivy and Zenos.”
“Are they your friends?”
“Ivy is from Earth, like you. And Zenos is from Rogue 5. Astra legion. They have no love for Cerberus. If anyone can figure out what might be going on, it’s