Zandian Pet (Zandian Masters 7)

“Veck you. My mind isn’t going to be anywhere but in that cage unless I get some relief,” Rok snapped. He unlocked the gate on the cage. “Get over here, female,” he growled.

Lily smiled and walked forward, shrieking as Rok tossed her over his shoulder and carried her back to his room. “I’ll just be a few minutes.”

“Take your time.” Erick eyed his female, now alone in her cage. “Let’s go over it again—”

“Erick. We’ve been over it four times already. I know how to release the gas. We double and triple checked to make sure all of us are now immune to it. I know how to get to my gun, fast. I know how to open the cage door. We’re ready. Or we will be as soon as Rok is finished with Lily.” She smirked.

Pal, the Zandian who had outfitted the cage with sleeping gas, arrived on board Rok’s ship, dressed in black like the rest of the extraction and backup team members. No Zandian whites for this operation. Good, he was glad they’d have another Seke-trained warrior on board. Not that he didn’t trust Rok’s scrappy crew.

“Don’t look at her,” Erick growled.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Master Erick,” he said smoothly.

The rest of the team entered and milled around, also tactfully averting their eyes. It was stupid of him to threaten them all. The last thing he wanted was for them to look uncomfortable around the “slaves” when they arrived at Neo Lin’s, but he couldn’t help himself. His need to shield Mina from other eyes asserted itself too strongly.

Rok returned from his chamber on the old ship, Lily once more hefted over his shoulder, giggling. He deposited her back in the cage and spoke into his collar. “Comms test. Primary team report.”

Each of the members responded, their voices piped into the tiny devices in their ears. “Mierna ready and in position.”

“Tal ready and in position.”

“Guardo in position.”

“Depri in position.”

“Lily in position.” She smiled at her mate, who swatted her ass.

“Mina in position.” She folded her arms over her bare breasts and smirked at him, as if the cage was to keep him from touching her, rather than her being the prisoner.

He forced a smile. He couldn’t deny the excitement coming off Mina in waves. She loved being a part of this mission, as much as it killed him.

“Extraction team report,” Rok ordered.

“Jano ready.”

“Jaso ready.”

“Erick ready.”

“And I’m ready,” Rok said. “Backup team report.”

“Pal ready with a team of four soldiers.” The soldiers were human—newly trained—but they were armed and would prove useful. The plan was for them to remain hidden on Rok’s ship unless needed. Erick just hoped they wouldn’t be.

Rok buckled into a seat near the cage in the cargo hold. Erick did the same. “Let’s fly,” Rok commanded, and the ship lifted off.

He closed his eyes, striking all the images of tragedies that might befall them from his mind. Rok’s scrappy team had succeeded many times without expensive ships or equipment. What worked for them was the same thing that he used in his negotiations. Having nothing to lose. Or believing they could get themselves out of any situation. He needed to adopt that mindset, too, if he was going to be of any use to this mission.

After what felt like three planet rotations, but in actuality was less than half of one, the ship docked on Neo Lin’s pod off the planet Aurelia and they got into position, activating heat-masking sensors on their flight suits to prevent Neo’s guards from accurately reading how many beings they brought.

Rok used his ship’s sensors, controlled through his arm cuff, to scan Neo’s ship. “There.” He pointed at a dock below the one they were on. The outlines of the three galactacarriers showed on the screen.

“This is it,” he murmured to Mina before taking his position in hiding. “I know you’ll take care of yourself.”

The smile that stretched across her face was so genuine, he kicked himself again for trying to keep her back from this mission. “Of course I will.” She winked. “You too, Master.”

~.~

Mierna, flanked by Tal, Guardo, and Depri, pulled the hovercage out of the ship. Mina and Lily sat on their knees, fingers twined around the bars in their attempt at pitiful and scared slaves.