"I'm a journalist, and it comes with the territory."
"You are no longer a journalist. You are my mate."
"I'm your partner, and together we're gonna hunt down Malik and kill the bastard."
Voss smiled. "My fierce little warrior." He pulled a medical scanner from the med kit he had slung over his shoulder and ran it over me. Frowning, he took out two pressure injectors and rapidly triggered them against my neck.
"Ouch! What were those for?"
"You're severely dehydrated, and there is some cellular damage from the sun."
Some? I resembled a very well-done lobster. I licked my dry, cracked lips. "You didn't happen to bring some water with you, did ya? I'm drier than the Sahara desert."
The big guy handed me a canteen.
Popping off the lid, I took a big swallow and promptly spat it out. "Oh my God! You trying to poison me?"
"Drink it. It will rehydrate you."
"It tastes like piss."
With an audible snap of his teeth, Voss commanded, "Drink it. Now."
Bedan's head popped out of my bra, and he whispered, "Want me to kill big scary?"
The Battle Commander growled at him.
With a panicked yip, the little guy took refuge in my sweat-soaked hair.
I glared at Voss. "He's a baby."
"Who needs to learn some manners."
The Gorum encircled us.
"Perhaps it is you who needs to learn some manners," Kunwar said, menace oozing from him.
Voss bared his fangs in a predatory smile. "Or I can teach you how to die."
Testosterone should be outlawed. I grabbed one of Kunwar's tentacles and gave it a hard yank. "Enough! We don't have time for all this macho crap. Did you forget there is a ship circling this planet, loaded with Tai-Kok?"
The Battle Commander snapped irritably. "Zoey!"
Kunwar's eyestalks regarded me for a long moment. "Your female has a warrior's heart."
"That she does," Voss agreed testily.
"Time's a wastin'."
"Bossy too," Vishna added.
"But correct. The Tai-Kok must die," Raj stated.
Hundreds of pieces of burning debris suddenly streaked across the sky like a meteor shower.
"Damn. I think the Overlord already took care of the Tai-Kok ship."
"He did," Voss confirmed.
An enormous swarm of those funky mosquitoes descended on us. Before I could freak out, dozens of tentacles danced around me, snagging the nasty critters.
A quick glance at Voss, and I fought back a giggle.
He had to fend for himself. I'll admit the big guy did a great job of smacking the nasty bloodsuckers, but he was soon covered with squashed bug guts. Slimy, pus-green bug guts.
I tried hard not to laugh but the antennas protruding from his hair pushed me over the edge.
The Gorum joined in. Their laughter sounded like donkeys braying.
The Battle Commander purred menacingly, "You think this is funny?"
Giggling helplessly, I gasped, "Very. You've got antennas."
"Do I?" Voss brushed them off, and an evil glint appeared in his eyes. "I haven't hugged you yet." He reached for me.
I dodged around Raj. "You are not touching me."
He popped in behind Raj, grabbed me in a bone-crushing hug, and gave me a long voracious kiss, making sure I was equally covered in slimy bug guts.
"Bastard!" I shrieked and smacked his shoulder.
"A proper mate shares everything," Voss said, a satisfied smile curving his mouth.
Bedan crawled over me, snagging bug parts and stuffing them in his maw.
The others joined in, and it was like being groped by a dozen octopi.
A kaleidoscope of images suddenly spun through my mind: scarlet rocks reached out like sinister thorny fingers from a sea of sand that seemed to stretch to eternity; Scorm scurried up armored boots; a bloody hand raised a laser pistol and fired at an attacking sand shark.
Every nerve in my body tensed, and the breath left my lungs in an involuntary gasp. Malik! Holy moly, he was so close.
Dropping my shields, I reached out and flinched. Rage. So much rage and hatred.
With a low growl, Voss slid into my mind, followed by Raj and Kunwar. Zarek crowded in, strengthening our link, and together we scanned for the traitor. There. Not even ten clicks away, Malik's dark aura beckoned like a beacon.
To my astonishment, Malik's thoughts were simple to read. He held me responsible for the destruction of his bases and Anhui's ship.
Really? It wasn't like I did it all by my lonesome.
Shock vied with fury over how easy it had been for a tiny female to take over his Tai-Kok warriors' minds and destroy his squadron of Marauders.
The murdering bastard was going to be even more surprised when the tiny female killed him.
Only instinct honed by years of battle had given Malik the ability to teleport as his ship had disintegrated around him. That truly sucked.
Malik's taunting laughter sounded in my head. "What is yours, Voss, will soon be mine."
"Zoey cannot be owned nor can she be broken. My mate is stronger than you, and make no mistake she will destroy you," Voss responded calmly.
My jaw dropped at the respect and approval in the big guy's voice.
"I will have her beneath me and screaming as I thrust into her again and again."
I let out an amused laugh. "The only one screaming will be you when I rip off your snake penis thingy and feed it to you."
All the males in my head flinched.
"Surrender now or face the Kalafat," Zarek spat.
"You wouldn't dare, old man. The Kalafat hasn't been used in over ten centuries."
"Your crimes warrant it."
A shudder shook me. Being tortured to the point of death for a month did seem a bit extreme until I remembered the screams of the children. Malik absolutely deserved such a fate.
Malik's maniacal laugh echoed around my skull. "Once the Destroyer of Worlds is mine, you will kneel at my feet, Father, and beg me not to destroy Tanith."
"The Destroyer of Worlds no longer exists," Raj said smugly.
"Liar! Desh showed it to me. I have the coordinates."
Kunwar snorted derisively. "Why would Desh allow you to possess the Destroyer of Worlds when he wants to rule the universe?"
"He wouldn't dare betray me. I left a garrison of warriors behind," Malik snarled.
I rolled my eyes. "God, you're such a maroon. Desh and his buddies have gobbled them all down by now."
"I will destroy you all!" Malik bellowed in fury and severed the link.
"Wow! I think the stress of losing two bases and forty million credits has pushed him over the edge."
"Yes it has," Voss responded with great satisfaction.
"The explosion drew both the Askole's and Alliance's attention. Commander Zan and Sariel insist on joining the search. A team has teleported down and set up a command center. Join me there," Zarek commanded and left my mind.
I looked up at Voss. "Sariel the Askole High Commander?"
"Yes."
"Wow! I've never met an Askole before."
Kunwar added, "Askole warriors are tough to digest."
My eyes widened in horror. Oh dear God. "You aren't planning on eating any of them, are you?"
"No, he is not," Raj stated empathically. "We are in no shape to defeat them."
"Speak for yourself," Kunwar snapped.
I shook my finger at him. "You better behave yourself, buster."
Voss groaned.
Kunwar wrapped a tentacle around my neck. "Or what?"
I held up a thermite grenade. "You'll die on this miserable planet, and Bebo will face Desh alone."
"You won't pull that pin."
"Try me."
Voss's massive hand closed over mine. "Don't encourage her."
Kunwar's eyestalks studied me for a moment, and his tentacle cautiously petted my back. "Few dare challenge me."
"I want Malik dead, and that won't happen if you decide to munch on an Askole."
"My hunger is great."
I pointed at an armored spine cutting through the sand. "Sic 'em."
"Your mate is mad," Kunwar told Voss before zooming off to attack the sand shark.
The big guy cocked a disbelieving eyebrow. "Sic 'em?"
"Seemed appropriate."
"You've been out in the sun too long."
"Probably. Let's go catch Malik."
Voss's arms closed around me, and he teleported.
Chapter Sixteen
The command center was a hive of activity. Askole, Coletti, and Alliance warriors worked side by side. It was hard to believe that the Alliance had once tried to annihilate the Coletti race.
We popped in, and to my amazement, every warrior gave a startled jump and pointed their weapons at us.
"Hey! We're on your side."
"Stand down," Voss commanded mentally, dropping me to my feet.
The warriors' gazes stayed fixed on something behind us, but Voss's men obediently holstered their weapons.