Alien Bride

A chill runs through my body as Rekker scans the room.

“I remember regulations becoming more restrictive,” he says. “He’s right. Everything feels on the verge of entropic collapse, as if Slain knows the breaking point is near.”

Akron gives up. “Look, what do you want from me? Money? If it’s a transport contact, you’d be surprised to know my guy got taken down long ago,” he says.

Rekker pulls his gun away and turns, scratching the barrel against the side of his head. “We don’t plan to stay long. Just a few days,” he says.

Akron cracks his neck and calms. He can’t stop staring at me.

“Why?”

“Why what?” Vraik asks.

“Why risk bringing her here?” Akron asks.

I swallow and inhale, scared half to death, but ready to speak for myself. “Because I told them to,” I say. “Because they’re my mates, and I demanded it.”

To my surprise, none of my alpha captors say anything. But Rekker has his eye firmly rooted on me.

Mates? I can’t believe I’m saying this.

Akron can’t hold back his laughter. “You command them?”

Every nerve is strained, but I continue to justify myself. Cautiously, I step forward, close enough to smell his putrid breath.

“Yes,” I say, simply enough.

“How is this possible?” he croaks.

“Because I gave them access to our Resnyx.”

The brute hunches, eyes narrowing. “Where?”

“My home planet,” I say. “Earth.”

All of my memories flash before my very eyes, but I keep standing there, using them as a bargaining chip for who knows what? At the end of this, I don’t know what I hope to gain.

For now, I’m just trying to buy as much time as I can.

Akron turns to my captors, mystified, yet disbelieving. “Is this true?”

Lök pulls me back. “I need you to help me store it,” he says.

“Keep your voice down,” Akron warns.

Lök doesn’t lower his voice. “You’re the only one who can help me, Akron,” he says.

Akron sighs, but he isn’t saying no. “Why me? There are plenty of rogue planets for you to use.”

“Not without detection,” Lök says.

Akron paces. “Ferän is in good geography. You could hide it there for weeks if you had to,” Akron says.

He stops and stares at Lök, face revealing diss

atisfaction. “There’s more you want from me. Isn’t there?” he asks.

“I need you to manage our workers, and make sure the Resnyx is extracted properly. It should be sent to Ferän when the process is completed. It has been forty-eight hours since we have left them to our own devices,” Lök says.