Chapter 13

Commander Sylmar had just received orders concerning what to do with the human captives. They were to be sent to the Assimilation Facility, where they would be studied to determine how they might benefit the Burel. This disturbed him because his request to negotiate with the humans had been rejected.

There had been whispers about what happened at the facility, which concerned Sylmar.

Rumors were flying around that the Griss had been spotted on long-range sensors posted at the edge of various systems surrounding their former home world, Primus, from which they’d fled five generations before.

The Griss were a reptilian species that either destroyed or enslaved entire civilizations. The Burel had abandoned Primus and believed they’d hidden themselves well enough to never be found. To this point, the Griss had looked elsewhere.

With that in mind, Sylmar was baffled at his leadership’s rejection of Brodie’s offer on behalf of the humans. Sylmar would have thought if the Griss could frighten his people enough to abandon Primus, his government would accept any help the humans offered.

Then again, though they were a proud race, they were xenophobic. That was why he’d never understood the Assimilation Facility’s purpose. The Burel would never integrate outsiders into their society, even as slaves.

Sylmar had delayed the transfer of the humans so far in the hope they might be set free and provide the help they’d offered. But he couldn’t put it off any longer. He would send Brodie and his crew to the facility later that day.

At first, Aurora considered Brodie a complete fool for trying to win over Sylmar. Then she began to see what he was doing: attempting to extract as much information as he could without tipping his hand. It took her some time to understand that Brodie recognized they were constantly being observed. That was why he would spout nonsense like ‘Cooperate fully’ or ‘Do not resist.’

She reached out and touched his wrist, startling him.

’Crap. I touched him ... right after I made it clear he shouldn’t touch me. What’s wrong with me?’ Aurora thought.

“Sorry. I’m just a little on edge.”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed,” Brodie said matter-of-factly, rubbing at his wrist as if she’d hurt him. “I would hate to see you a lot on edge.”

She punched him in the chest.

“Damn, girl. You trying to kill me?” Brodie mock-complained.

“Shut it,” Aurora said, trying not to laugh. “Why do you think we haven’t left the ship yet?”

Brodie’s eyes twitched as if he wanted to see if anyone was listening.

“Maybe they have us in quarantine for fear we carry some disease or infection that will wipe out their race.”

“They wouldn’t have let the crew leave if they were worried about that.”

Brodie shrugged like it didn’t really matter to him. Then he gave her a seductive look.

“I haven’t told you how sexy you are, mate of mine,” Brodie said, getting into her personal space.

She flinched when he kissed her neck. It wasn’t lost on her that he’d used the Burel term for a married couple. He was playing to his audience.

Under his breath, he mumbled, “They’re watching us.”

“Uh-huh,” she moaned, signaling she understood.

He pulled back and gave her a mischievous grin.

“You’re not mad at me anymore for letting you get captured?”

She remembered Sylmar’s comment about the dearth of females on Burel warships.

“No. I know you wouldn’t put your mate in danger.”

“I’ll keep their focus on me because I realize you can’t defend yourself,” Brodie said.

’Clever man,’ Aurora thought.

She grasped the back of his neck and pulled his lips down so she could kiss him.

“I know you’ll do whatever you must to keep me safe.”

Having the Burel think she was a weak female could make it easier for their escape when the time came. The problem was, when would that happen?

Then Brodie kissed her again. Aurora’s lips parted, and he slid his tongue past them, devouring her mouth in greedy lashes that left her gasping. She clung to his broad shoulders, then slid her hands down to his fit waist. Brodie groaned and cupped her bottom, rotating his hips so she could feel his arousal. Then he let her go and staggered back.

“Sorry,” he murmured. “I forgot for a moment.”

“That’s okay, I think we both need to forget,” Aurora said, stepping into his personal space and putting her hand over the bulge in his pants.

“I’m so going to regret this,” Brodie said with fire in his eyes.

Aurora blinked a few times as he gave her a predatory look. He walked over to the wall, pulled down their rack, picked her up like she weighed nothing, and tossed her onto the bed. She squealed with laughter as Brodie attacked her.

Elle worried that her instinct to invite Kat to the former pirate base was a mistake. As soon as Johan saw Kat, he had his security arrest her and throw her into one of his secure rooms. It took a few minutes for the rest of the future leaders to put together that Elle was helping The Lost Ones.

“I can’t believe you were working with my cousin,” Karl said.

“I realize this looks bad, but let me explain,” Elle said.

She looked to B for support because the two of them usually fell on the same side of disagreements within their group. She sighed when she saw B giving her some serious side-eye. B was probably still mad about the Brodie marriage race they were both in. Elle might have made a couple of cutting remarks when it looked like B was the clear-cut leader for Brodie’s hand.

“Let’s hear her out,” Johan said.

He was the last person Elle would have expected to help her out.

“Thank you,” Elle said and then launched into her explanation. “Brodie was sent on a mission by the King to explore a Burel space station.”

“That lucky bastard,” Karl said in envy.

“Not so lucky,” Elle said. “The Burel interrupted their raiding the station for technology, and he and that Goth chick were taken prisoners.”

“We need to go save him,” B said.

“That could be a problem because the Burel jumped before he could be rescued. I have to assume he’s either dead or worse right now,” Elle said.

Was it wrong that she enjoyed B’s look of horror at her words?

“We should tell our jarls,” Karl said.

“Here’s the thing: Brodie was successful in stealing a bunch of technology. He sent his ships back loaded with the stuff. On one of Kat’s former bases, Bjorn is secretly upgrading his ships with what they found,” Elle said, letting that sink in for a beat.

“What would your jarls say if you brought them back the technology?” Elle asked.

“Explain,” B said.

“It would secure our positions,” Johan said.

They all looked at each other until they saw they each agreed.

“I don’t understand why Kat’s with us,” B said.

“She’s the one who told me what Bjorn is up to. Plus, she wants to legitimize The Lost Ones by making them privateers. They would add their ships to the rescue effort if Bjorn will agree to forgive and forget,” Elle said.

“This is my crazy cousin you’re talking about?” Karl asked in disbelief.

It seemed he knew her well enough to know Kat could sometimes be unhinged. Her solution to almost everything was to put a hole in someone’s head. Elle shrugged in response.