Choosing Riley

Chapter 9-3

“How long before you can meet up with us?” Vox asked his younger brother, Viper, who was commanding his warship, the Shifter.

“It will take us two, possibly three days to get there. We have been raiding every damn Antrox mine we can find. I didn’t realize the greedy insects had so many. We’ve been to four star systems so far looking for you and have raided at least two dozen,” Viper said, leaning back and grinning. “So, how did you escape? I would love to have seen the Antrox’s expressions as you gave them hell.”

Vox flushed, not wanting to explain to his brother just yet that his new mate had been the one to save them, even if she had blown the damn mining asteroid to smithereens in the process. He shifted uncomfortably, wondering how his parents and brothers were going to react to Riley. His parents had recently reminded him that he was destined to mate with a Valdier princess. That had been part of the treaty his father and the old Valdier king had signed to ensure peace between the two species. Now, he was about to blow the treaty to hell because he had no intention of mating with anyone other than Riley.

“Remind me to tell you about it when you pick us up,” Vox muttered in frustration. “Just meet up with us as soon as possible. I’m not sure how long this piece of dragon dung will hold up. We have it patched together with our piss and sweat.”

Viper laughed. “There is a Valdier warship closer. I will notify them that you may need assistance before we can arrive. It is Creon’s warship. They could be there within a day.”

Vox nodded in resignation. “That might be best. I need to speak with Creon Reykill about a personal matter anyway,” he muttered. “I will contact you later.”

“Gods be with you, brother,” Viper said, signing off.

“I hope they will be,” Vox said as he thought of how he was going to approach the youngest Valdier royal and ask for his help in breaking the treaty between their people without it causing a war.

Vox looked at Titus and Adur and rubbed the back of his neck wearily. Gods, he was tired. He hadn’t slept well since he was captured, and with trying to keep the damn freighter from falling apart, he hadn’t had a chance to even think about it in over two days. He sat back in the chair near the communications console and was listening as Titus and Adur talked about what still needed to be done when he heard the sound of Fred’s little feet scurrying toward them.

“Vox! Vox! You have to help! Riley! Help her! She has been attacked!” Fred said breathlessly as he skidded onto the bridge where Vox, Adur, and Titus were. “A strange creature! It has Riley in the dining quarters!”

Vox’s loud roar shook the room as he shifted into his cat. He sent Fred flying into Adur as he rushed through the door. His claws clattered against the metal flooring of the old freighter as he rushed down the long corridor.

He vaguely heard Titus yelling for Lodar and Tor to meet them in the dining quarters, that Riley was being attacked. Bob heard the loud roars as it echoed through the old freighter to where he was working on sealing off another section of the ship so they would not have to maintain its environmental system. His huge body shook with rage when he heard that something was attacking Riley in the dining quarters. He turned quickly and moved as fast as his big body would let him through the narrow corridors.

Vox’s blood boiled at the thought of some unknown creature attacking his beautiful, vulnerable mate. He would tear it to shreds. He would teach whatever creature it was that no one messed with his delicate, fragile mate.

He rounded the corner leading to the dining quarters, skidding around it so fast his shoulder left a deep dent in the wall where he hit it. He slowed as he saw Riley coming out of the room. She had a tray in her hands, but that was not what caught his attention.

It was the mass of purple threatening to strangle her. The thing had glittering scales all over it. Vox’s heart skipped a beat when he saw the purple tentacles embedded in her ears. The thing was trying to take over her mind!

Vox leaped to rip the thing off Riley at the same time she looked up. Horror and fear flashed through her eyes as she screamed. The tray in her hands flew through the air over her head at the same time as Vox hit her chest, knocking her backward and down to the hard metal floor. He used his teeth and claws to slice the creature off his mate, tearing and slashing in desperate fear that it might be too late to save her.

He shifted when he had most of the creature torn apart enough so he could use his hands to finish pulling it from her body. Riley’s screams of panic continued to tear a hole through his soul. Grief and rage made his fingers clumsy as he pulled the last bit of purple fur away from her face and neck. With trembling fingers, he gently pulled the remains of the tentacles from her right ear, the other had already fallen out.

“Riley, speak to me,” Vox whispered hoarsely. “My lumi, please speak to me. Tell me if it is still hurting you.”