Choosing Riley

Chapter 4-3

Vox frowned as his mate moved her plate of food away from his and went to sit down between Bob and Fred. For the past couple of days, she had done everything she could to avoid him. She spent most of her time dancing around the huge Gelatian or keeping the small Tiliqua between her and him.

Hell, she had even used Tor and Lodar as shields, but only when the other two couldn’t get away from her. Both of his men had noticed how skittish she had been around them after the first day in the mine. It had grown worse after they had finished their first work shift. They had been escorted to the eating room shortly after their shift ended. The skittish distance had turned into a frigid ice block by the time they were done.

On the third day Vox discovered he, Lodar, and Tor were not the only Sarafin warriors held prisoner. His best friend and cousin Titus, a member of the lead council who had disappeared over a month before, was among the prisoners, as well as his younger brother, Banu.

There was also one Curizan warrior and one Valdier warrior Vox recognized. Both of them had been working undercover to bring down Raffvin and Ben’qumain’s rebellion. Titus explained he had found some damning evidence of his own against several of those inside the Sarafin palace who were working with Raffvin. They were the ones behind his and his brother’s kidnapping and subsequent imprisonment.

“Who are they?” Vox growled out in a low voice.

“Two are females who share your bed,” Titus said quietly. “Eldora and Pursia. They were relating information to Bragnar, a male who works in the kitchens.”

Vox turned to look at Riley when she sniffed loudly. He frowned when she gave him a deadly stare before turning to look the other way and focusing on what Bob and Fred were saying. He had reached to touch her hand, but she jerked it away from him before he could even get close to it.

“Who is the female?” Titus asked curiously, watching their interaction with interest. “She is much more pleasing to the eye than the one who selected me,” he said with a dismissive nod toward the slender purple figure sitting on his other side.

“She is my mate,” Vox said, perplexed at his mate’s sudden quiet behavior.

“As in she chose you or as in you chose her?” Titus asked. “Because if I had to guess, she doesn’t look any happier with you than mine is with me.”

“Both,” Vox said grumpily. “She chose the five of us, but I knew the minute I heard her voice she was my mate.”

“What species is she? I don’t think I have ever seen one like her before,” Titus said, picking at the items on his plate in disgust.

“I don’t know,” Vox admitted reluctantly. “I forgot to ask her. We need to get off this asteroid as soon as possible,” he said, changing the subject. “I have a Valdier royal to kill.”

“You and me both,” Titus said, throwing down the few pieces of his food that were left. “Supply ships arrive every seven days. One came today,” Titus murmured quickly before standing up as an Antrox guard came over to order him and his mate back to their quarters.

Vox nodded before turning his attention to the other warriors sitting across from them. They each nodded in return before rising as a guard called out to them to stand. He returned their nod. They would be off this rock in seven days if he had his way—which he always did when he put his mind to it. His eyes turned to the stiff, defiant figure of his mate sitting next to him.

Yes, he thought with a small smile at the frozen face of his mate. I always get my way when I want something.