Choosing Riley

Chapter 3-2

Vox lay on his back and wiped at his eyes again. They were still tearing from earlier, but thankfully the worst part of the burning had faded. He turned his head and glanced at the wall of blankets separating the two sides of the narrow cavern they had been given. Fred was curled up in a ball in the corner as far from Vox and his men as possible on one blanket. Bob was asleep standing up in the other corner. Vox, Lodar, and Tor were stretched out on the hard floor. He listened as the female rolled over on the bed behind the curtain again and released a soft sigh that tugged at his c**k as if she had her hand wrapped around him. She was driving him and his cat crazy!

“How are we going to get out of here?” Lodar asked quietly. “As long as we have these collars on, there is no way we can get by the guards.”

“If I had some tools, I could get them off,” Tor responded quietly. “Problem is, I don’t think the Antrox are going to leave any tools that would work lying around.”

“I’m going to kill that Valdier royal when I get my hands on him,” Vox growled out softly. “The Antrox receive shipments every couple of days. We need to track when those shipments arrive. We’ll figure out a way to get these damn collars off and steal a ship. Kill as many of those emotionless insects as you can on the way out. I want them to know they better not mess with a Sarafin warrior again.”

“Tomorrow begins our first shift,” Lodar said. “We can look for tools when they take us to the mines.”

“What of the female?” Tor asked, looking over to the blankets where Riley’s soft sighs could be heard. “We will need to watch her. I’ve heard of what can happen to females in the Antrox mines. If the pactors don’t attack them and kill them, other prisoners often try to steal them or a trader will offer credits for them. They kill the males if another female doesn’t take them or another is not available.”

Vox looked at the shadow of his mate as she turned over again. He watched one of her arms rise up briefly before she turned over onto her stomach. A small grin pulled at his mouth. There wasn’t a part of his body that wasn’t sore thanks to her. He had never been brought to his knees before, not even in battle except for the time he was poisoned. His mate had done it not once, but twice in the same day.

“She is to be protected at all cost. Kill any who try to take or harm her,” he ordered. “She is your new queen.”

Tor chuckled softly. “I don’t think she is going to be too happy with her new title,” he said, fighting back another laugh.

“I don’t care if she likes her new title or not; she is my mate and the queen of our people,” Vox said with a grin of his own. “I have to admit I’m looking forward to seeing how she handles it. Just remind me to make sure I check her hands before I get near her again.” he turned so he could stare at the curtain and imagine what she looked like lying on the narrow bed.

“You don’t think she would have any tools with her, do you?” Lodar asked curiously. “She has been surprisingly resourceful so far.”

Vox snorted. “She is a female! Why would a female need tools?” he said dismissively. “No, our best hope is if we can find some that the Antrox haven’t accounted for.”

“Like that will ever happen,” Tor grunted out. “They inventory every item as the prisoners go into the mines and again coming out.”

Vox bit back the curse on his lips. “I want off this asteroid. If we can’t find the tools we need, then we will have to find another way to get them. Get some sleep. It will be a long day tomorrow.”

Both men grunted their agreement as they rolled over, trying to get comfortable on the hard surface. Vox stared at the shadow of his mate again. He would get off the asteroid, and he would kill the Valdier royal who drugged him and his men. But first, he needed to make sure that he marked his mate, in case she was taken from him. He would find her, no matter where she went, but he wanted everyone to know she belonged to him.