Mated to the Beast(42)

“Transport room responding. Go ahead.”

The men relaxed then, tentative smiles forming on their faces knowing they would soon be away.

“You have our coordinates, can track the fourteen coalition members. Transport.”

“The magnetic storm that impacted your transport before has shifted. No transport. Repeat, no transport.”

“How long?” I asked.

The men glanced about, clearly afraid of the Hive who would soon appear. The ship wasn’t overridden with them; it was a prison ship and the enemy combatants were—until now—all behind bars. A large group of Hive was not needed.

“Unknown. Remain in place until we communicate. Out.”

“Alternatives,” Sarah called once the connection was broken.

The men considered and stated various options, but none removed us from this ship.

“We could fly out,” Seth offered.

“Fly? This ship is too big. Besides,” I added, “if we got it anywhere near a coalition vessel they’d shoot us out of space.”

One of the soldiers offered a reasonable challenge.

“Every Hive ship has a flight deck with operational Hive squadron fighters. We can use one of those,” another added.

“We’d still be blown to bits in a hostile aircraft,” I added.

“Not if we flew past the magnetic interference, communicated with the Karter and transported from there,” Seth offered.

I glanced at Sarah, who’d been listening intently. “I can’t pilot a Hive fighter. Can anyone?”

The men shook their heads, but Seth looked at Sarah and grimaced. “Sarah can.”

My eyes widened, completely unaware of this ability. She could shoot, kick ass, strategize, fly. What else could she do?

“I can’t fly one of those!”

Seth wrapped his arms around Sarah’s shoulders. “It’s just like the C-130.”

I had no idea what a C-130 was, so I had to assume it was an Earth ship.

“This is nothing like it,” Sarah countered. “That’s a supply plane. With wings and rudders.”

“You are a pilot?” I asked.

Seth grinned, completely confident in his sister. “She can fly anything. You’re her mate, shouldn’t you know that?”

Sarah whacked him on the arm. “He’s known me less than two days. Cut it out.”

Seth offered me a dark glare but spoke to one of his men. “Meers, where is the flight deck?”

The recruit—his uniform showed only one bar on the sleeves—straightened his shoulders and responded, “Second floor, the aft end of the ship.”

“We go there, get the ship. If you can’t fly it, we’re no worse off than we are standing here in the middle of the brig.” Seth looked between the men, then at me. “Warlord, you are the highest rank here.”

“I am no longer a member of the coalition fleet,” I replied.

“Got kicked out, did you?”

“Seth, leave Dax the fuck alone. If you don’t shut the fuck up, right now, I’m going to leave your ass here. You get me? He’s mine. I’m keeping him. Get over it.”

Sarah defended me. From Seth. All this, everything we’d done since the first moment I’d seen her, had been about getting her precious Seth back. She’d only mated with me so that she could accomplish this task. Once we got off this prison ship, I’d have completed my commitment to her. I assumed she’d turn her back on me and want to handhold her brother through the remainder of her time in the service. Instead, she was defending me from him. She loved her brother. Did she now care for me as well? The idea puffed up my ego, surely, but it made me feel something besides the beast inside screaming Mine. It was my heart, my very soul that held hope. Not for a mate to fuck to end my mating fever, but a mate to keep because we truly wanted to be together.

Seth looked as if he’d rather eat some titanium bolts, but offered his sister a stiff nod. “Dax, you have the experience and skill of a warlord. We could use your input.”

I eyed her brother for a moment. I had to admire his ability to suck it up when required. “I do not wish my mate to be in jeopardy a minute longer than necessary; however, remaining here is not a wise option. Flying out is valid, as long as Sarah can pilot the ship.”

Seth’s eyes widened at the term mate, even though we’d told him, and Sarah held up her arms so he could see the cuffs about her wrists. “Told ya so.” She offered him a small smile and he just rolled his eyes.

“Then let’s go,” Sarah said, taking a deep breath.

I pulled Sarah to me and whispered in her ear, “Are you sure?”

“Are you doubting me now?” Her eyebrows winged up.