The challenger’s second spoke for the first time. “Are there other women like you on Earth, princess? Women who might be willing to mate with a contaminated veteran, as you called us?”
I sighed. Single women looking for smoking hot, honorable warriors? “Absolutely. Thousands and thousands of them, but you are not contaminated.”
The doctor coughed. “Gods, my prince, you had best get her out of here immediately. She’s going to launch an invasion of Earth.”
“What?” I wondered. “I’m not either. All I have to do is call—or whatever it is you do from space—Warden Egara. She’ll help them find mates once I explain the situation to her. She takes her job very seriously. Trust me. She’ll be happy to help.”
How I knew this, I wasn’t sure, but I was completely confident that I spoke the truth.
The warrior at the door tilted his head. “Lady Egara of the battleship Wothar? Catherine?”
I shoved at Ander’s arm so he would move aside a couple of inches. I needed to see this man’s face. “I don’t know her first name and I know nothing of a battleship. I’m fairly positive she’s never been to space, for I’ve been told that no woman ever returns to Earth once matched.”
“She would be smaller than you, princess, with dark hair and gray eyes?”
“That sounds like her.” I frowned at him. “How do you know her?”
“She was mate to my brother and his second. They were both killed six years ago in an ambush. We lost an entire battle group that day.” He nodded at his second and pointed to his own silver skin. “The rest of us were recovered several hours later, but we didn’t get to go home.”
He meant that they had all been sent to the Colony instead because of their new contamination.
Nial stepped out of sight then reappeared with my dark red blanket, which he draped over me before lifting me into his arms. I realized I’d been naked as I had a conversation with two complete strangers. With a plug in my butt. God.
“I can walk, you know.”
He shook his head. “Not today. Today you cause too much trouble even when your feet do not touch the ground.”
I chuckled at that and he looked to Ander.
“Let’s go, Ander. It is time.”
Ander fell into step beside us and the others bowed as Nial carried me past them all out into a long corridor lined with doors. I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned my head on his shoulder, allowing him to take me where he willed. “Where are we going now? Time for what?”
“Time to teach you exactly what it means to be a bride of Prillon.”
* * *
Nial
I carried my mate down the long, plain corridor and felt rage gather in my chest. I was supposed to live the rest of my life on the Colony. It was to be my new home. This place, these men, were supposed to be my future—if my father had his way. The men who we’d just fought, those who wanted Jessica for their own, were like me. Warriors who had fought for the coalition, protected billions of lives on hundreds of planets, but unlucky enough to be captured and tortured by the Hive, contaminated by their technology and banished forever.
Shame at my lack of understanding made me clench my jaw as I carried my mate. Jessica had pointed out the obvious, that there was nothing wrong with any of them. Their Hive biotech implants were like her scars: marks of honor, of service. Of respect. If anything, the implanted technology would make them all stronger, faster, and more lethal than ever before. And yet these men found themselves banished to the Colony, disrespected and forgotten. Denied a mate, denied a family. Stripped of their honor and their worth and used for nothing more than slave labor.
The disgraceful treatment of our warriors would be one of the first things I would change once I was Prime. I looked down at the golden shimmer of my mate’s hair where she rested in my arms and knew, without doubt, my princess would be a fierce advocate for these warriors as well.
It had been a proud moment for me to see her confront the doctor, confront injustice, and make us all see things in a new light. Her words, her ideals, were meant to protect not just the two men who would claim her, but all the veterans of the Hive wars, all the wounded and scarred warriors on this world. I had no doubt she would fight my father’s prejudiced system, without surcease. She was fierce and brave and passionate.
My perfect mate.
It was time now to claim her, to fuck her. We should be fleeing the Colony without pause, but I had to fuck her first. She had to understand the power of our mating bond and a good, hard fuck would do that in ways words could not. The collars, as well as a few intense orgasms, would ensure that she never doubted our bond again.