“His name is Deek?” I asked. It was the first time I heard it and I wanted to know more.
“Yes, he is an Atlan ground commander from Battleship Brekk. He served for ten years, and I with him. He saved my life more than once, and I would not see him die now.”
Impressive. It only intrigued me further.
I walked to the table and picked up the nearest cuff. Dark, pewter-colored swirls created a complex design in the heavy gold. Beneath that, so small as to be nearly impossible to see with the naked eye, I saw computer circuitry of some sort. Confused, I lifted my gaze to find both Sarah and Dax watching me.
“I thought these were like wedding rings or something. But they are full of computer circuits. What, exactly, do they do?”
Sarah spoke first. “Once you are both wearing them, they will bind you to the commander. You will not be able to be more than a short distance from him without feeling extreme physical pain.”
“What?” That was totally bogus. “Like a leash?”
Sarah rolled her eyes. “There is no tether, but trust me, you will stay near. If you get too far from his side, it’s like taking a shot from a Taser.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but Warlord Dax interrupted me.
“It will be the same for him, Tiffani. The close proximity of our mate can be the only thing that keeps our beast under control. It soothes us to know our mate is nearby. Once you are truly mated and he has overcome the mating fever, you may choose to wear the cuffs or not. But in the beginning, they serve as protection. If you can get them on his wrists, they are the best chance you will have at saving his life.”
Without taking a moment to consider, I lifted the smaller cuff to my wrist and closed it, a sense of finality settling on my shoulders as it sealed itself. There was no seam, making it impossible for me to find a way to remove it.
Too late for second thoughts. I came halfway across the galaxy to save my mate. I wasn’t going to let a pair of cuffs stop me. I locked the second cuff around my opposite wrist and grabbed the larger pair, held them up. “Okay. How do I get these on him?”
Warlord Dax took a deep breath. “Very carefully.”
I nodded. “Okay. Let’s do this. I’m ready.”
Sarah disappeared for a moment and returned with a large hooded cloak. “Here, wear this.”
I slid the heavy burgundy cloak over my shoulders, pulled the two sides together in front of me. She nodded her head vigorously. “Good. Now pull up the hood.”
I pulled the hood forward and it eclipsed my face by nearly six inches.
Warlord Dax touched my shoulder. “Excellent. Keep the cuffs hidden until you are inside. And whatever you do, don’t look at anyone, and don’t remove the cloak until we give you the signal.”
“What’s the signal?”
Sarah was practically dancing with excitement. “Dax has a friend on the inside. He served under the commander as well. He’s going to shut down the surveillance system inside Deek’s cell so you two can be alone.”
“We’re going to stay inside the prison cell?” That had never been one of my thoughts. When Warden Egara mentioned breaking in, I assumed it meant breaking my mate out as well.
Sarah nodded.
“Come. It is time.” Warlord Dax moved swiftly out of the room as I struggled to hold the large cuffs somewhere no one would see them.
Sarah stepped up, took the cuffs from my hands, and showed me where the pockets were, hiding them instantly in the deep folds of the cloak. “Listen, Dax doesn’t feel comfortable talking about this in front of you, but if you want to save Deek, you’re going to have to be willing to do whatever it takes.”
That was the reason I was here. “I came halfway across the galaxy to claim a man on death row. I think I’ve proved I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”
Sarah’s hand landed on my shoulder and she peered up at me beneath the hood of my cloak. “Good. Because you’ve got to get these cuffs on him so he can be connected with you, so his beast can sense you and begin to settle. And the only way you’re going to do that is to get really damn close.”
I bit my lip. “Will he hurt me?”
Sarah shook her head. “I don’t know. Under normal circumstances, no way. No Atlan warrior would ever hurt a female. But if he’s in the middle of an attack of mating fever, I don’t know what he’ll do.”
“So, how am I supposed to calm him down?”
Her grin was contagious, and I would have smiled back if I weren’t totally freaking out. “Fuck his brains out. Give yourself to him and let his beast fuck you until he is satisfied, then slam the cuffs on his wrists when he’s not expecting it. Don’t worry, his beast should recognize you as his mate, cuffs or not.”