York cleared his throat. “We’ll be ready to blow apart anything chasing you. Just make it back safe.”
Dovis stepped close to Cavas. “Be careful. Don’t punch them like you’re a child.”
He laughed. “I won’t.” He glanced back at Jill. “He was joking. I can fight. I’ll do my best to protect you.”
She gave a nod. “I’m not totally defenseless. Just so you know. Don’t think I won’t use this chain to hurt someone if the need arises.”
She looked completely harmless, but he wasn’t about to insult her. He respected her bravery to volunteer to go with him. He faced Cathian again. “Be safe. It’s possible Yorlian Trevis has assigned space patrols since we let those prisoners go free. The Vorge could come under attack if they check behind the dead moon.”
“We’ve deployed sensors on the other side. Anything flying this way won’t be able to sneak up on us,” York assured him. “This isn’t our first time doing covert operations.”
Cavas arched his eyebrows, looking at his brother.
Cathian grimly nodded. “It’s sometimes my job to check out our alliances to make certain they’re trustworthy. We’re also well-armed to defend ourselves.”
Cavas wasn’t surprised his older littermate wouldn’t blindly trust other aliens, and he was already aware of the extensive battlements on The Vorge. Not only was it the ambassador flagship for their planet, it was also capable of extreme defense in case of war. Tryleskians prided themselves on their fighting skills. To have a flagship that could easily be overtaken would have been an embarrassment. “We’ll hopefully be back soon with Crath. Then we’ll deal with our father and uncle.”
“Uncle?” Jill asked.
“My biological father,” Raff growled. “He needs to be killed, too.”
“Let’s go.” Cavas didn’t want to participate if an argument broke out between his cousin and his brother, about the ultimate fate of their fathers. It didn’t matter to him if Beltsen was killed or just shamed into banishment. Either way, he’d be stripped of power. He walked through the cargo bay and headed up the ramp of the shuttle. He could hear Jill following him, the chains making a small clinking noise. He hesitated just inside the door and pointed for her to take a seat. She walked past him and began to buckle into the passenger area. He closed the door and strode forward, taking the pilot seat.
“You can fly one of these, right?”
“I can.” He began turning on the engines and doing a preflight check.
“So, you’re a pilot?”
“I’m much more.”
Long seconds ticked by before she spoke again. “I’d really like a distraction from the crazy we’re about to do. Can you tell me about yourself? I mean, we’re in this together. I’ve told you things about me. Screwed over by Earth, how I was sold into slavery, and defended myself against a bug alien.”
He buckled in. “Give me a moment.” He checked the status of the cargo bay. It was clear of life signs, sealed, and he had been given access to depressurize. He did that next, then lifted the shuttle enough to fly out the now open exterior doors.
The dead moon was almost as black as space. The Vorge had flown behind it to hide from all traffic going to Flax Colony. He slowly put distance between the shuttle and the larger vessel, then picked up speed. He set course before speaking again.
“I’m Cavas Vellar, second born of the first litter of Beltsen Vellar. We are part of an old, very wealthy and powerful family on Tryleskian. That’s our home planet. I hit adulthood and joined the military. I rose quickly in the ranks. I was the high commander, only one position down from the supreme commander. That’s who controls the military.”
He kept his attention on the scanners, not wanting to look at her. Guilt surfaced over being attracted to Jill. She’d gone through several traumas. The last thing she needed was a male feeling lust. They were there on a mission to find his younger brother, not for him to ogle her body.
“That sounds impressive.”
He smiled at her uncertain tone. He also picked up a hint of nervousness still.
“I’m very skilled with combat and I’m a first-rate pilot. Not only shuttles. I can fly almost anything. Enemy vessels included.” He paused. “I’ve led countless dangerous missions on alien worlds.”
“That makes me feel better.”
“Just follow my lead. I’m experienced at adjusting to situations to fit in with other cultures. Even the criminal element. I’ve gone undercover often to seek out and arrest dangerous enemies or rescue captives. Sometimes both at the same time.”
“Have you ever had to play a slaver before?”
He hesitated. “No. I did, however, once pretend to be a pirate captain with a crew of murderers. They were my men, on a pirate vessel we commandeered. We had to go to a station that had been overtaken, kill those in charge, and free the four-hundred-plus hostages. That mission was successful.”
“How many bad guys did you have to take out? How many of your men helped?”
He thought for a moment. “There were eight of us in total against seventy-six pirates.”
She grew silent. He wasn’t sure if that comforted her or not. He didn’t have time to check. They were coming up on Flax Colony and some air traffic.
Cavas flew toward the surface. The shuttle vibrated once they reached the atmosphere, and he adjusted the gravity stabilizers to make it a smoother transition for his passenger. She wasn’t used to space flight.
Once they were at two thousand feet and well below any monitoring devices from the colony, he changed course, flying even lower, heading away from it and toward their target. There was no certainty that Cavas was being held at the arena, but it was the most likely probability with the information they’d learned. It was a secure location, one he’d have chosen if he were Yorlian Trevis.
He needed to think like the enemy.
Chapter Five
Jill felt more afraid after the shuttle landed than when she’d first gotten aboard. They had arrived on Flax Colony. Her first trip to the planet had been against her will as a slave. The second time was by choice to play a role. It was time to put her game face on.
The big lion alien stood, striding toward her.
The outfit Cavas wore showed off his muscular body. The open front of the shirt proved his abs had abs. He had to be the most fit man ever. Cathian had also been really fit, but the blue-eyed brother had been thinner. He’d also worn baggy clothing that hid a lot of his shape.
Cavas’s skin was tanned to a golden bronze and the thin white material over his bulging arms seemed at risk of splitting apart if he flexed his biceps. He paused before her, and his golden eyes peered into hers. They truly were striking and beautiful, in a predatory way. She hated noticing all of that about him. She felt bad for crushing a little on her alien savior. He’d shown no interest in her.
“Take some deep breaths.” He wrinkled his nose. “You smell of fear.”
His words and disgusted look killed any thoughts she might have of him feeling any chemistry between them. She unbuckled from the seat and carefully took hold of the long chain that was attached to the thick collar at her throat. It had a quick release on the back that her hair covered, unlike the last one she’d worn. As she stood, Jill once again felt small compared to Cavas. He towered over her by a good foot.
“Fear is normal. A slave would be afraid of her master.”
“I’d never harm you.”
“I know that. I just don’t want to end up actually being a slave again or killed if we’re caught.”
He gave her a slight nod and spoke with a firm, reassuring voice. “We will be fine.”
She hoped so. He got points for confidence. It was sexy. She tried to think of the important things she’d been told about slaves as she offered him the handle of the leash. Having wayward thoughts about him would only distract her from their mission. “Okay, slave lessons that I learned from Cia. Ready?”