Man, I hoped she was all right. What had these guys hit her with, anyway?
The grip on my neck didn’t ease, and I was pulled off the console, and dragged out of the cockpit. I baulked as we hit the door.
“I want to stay with my ship.”
His grip tightened.
“Not gonna happen.”
I drove my foot back, going for a knee.
Well, Hell! Since when did security jocks wear hardened battle armor?
His breath ran hot across my shoulder and throat.
“Since we get to deal with assholes like you.”
I tried to duck my head, pull my neck out of his grip, but his hand tightened, and he shook me.
“You’ll be reunited.”
We would?
“You will.”
I almost relaxed, and then I registered the last two questions he’d answered had been unspoken, and tensed. He ignored the reaction.
“Come,” and the grip on my neck was gone, as was the weight of his presence at my back.
Come? He had to be freaking kidding me! I took two steps back into the cockpit, and spun a kick at the control panel for the door. The kick landed, and nothing happened. I backed up.
“Come,” he said, and I shook my head, moving back to sit on the control console and tuck my feet up on the pilot’s seat.
“I want to stay with the ship.”
The wolf returned, resting a forearm on the doorframe as he looked in.
“That is no longer an option,” he said, as if it ever had been.
“It’s my home.”
“Not anymore.”
Well, that sounded ominous. I tucked my feet up onto the console and pushed myself against the glassteel of the cockpit. He sighed, came off the door frame, and crossed the cockpit in a single stride.
“Have it your way.”
6—In Werewolf Hands
I ducked the fist that came at my face, but not the hand it switched to. Being thrown over the wolf’s shoulder gave me an interesting view of his ass—and the surprising fact that the armor had no tail. I was disappointed. I’d wanted to see a tail.
He was laughing as he ducked out of the cockpit and crossed over to the airlock. The airlock… well, since he was going through it with me, I guessed that was okay. I was relieved to see we were the last, that no other wolves remained in the cabin, but not happy with the mess they’d left—and they called themselves professional.
“Professional rampaging tantrum beasts,” the wolf muttered, as we crossed the short extension connecting the two ships.
It was no surprise that the wolf ship looked like I’d expect one of their drop-ships to have looked on the inside. Security patrol, my ass!
“We wondered.”
Mild nausea crept through me.
Wondered what?
“If you were the missing crewman from the Marie, the one they call Cutter. Our contract is for all the crew.”
Well, fuck.
That got me two firm pats on the rump.
“I don’t think so.”
I rolled my eyes, and gave a groan of disgust, and then let myself hang, my forehead pressed against his back. What-thefuck-ever.
“The contract calls for delivery unharmed. After that, your fate will be negotiated.”
“The ship?”
“It is an unexpected bonus, but as you were flying it, we need to ascertain its connection to the contract.”
I sighed.
“I can walk, you know.”
“You forfeited the option.”
I sighed again.
“Why are you in my head?”
“Were you going to tell us who you were?”
Not in a lifetime of nopes.
“See?”
“Who are you, anyway?”
That earned me another pat on the ass and I wished he’d stop.
“I like you, Cutter,” he said, “but you’re still going into storage.”
I was? Well, f… damn.
And he sniggered, before turning, and dumping me into a seat. It was the first time I’d realized we weren’t alone. That made sense. I guess if I hadn’t had my face pressed against the back of his armor, I’d have realized that sooner.
The airlock cycled closed behind us, but I didn’t hear the sound of the docking tube letting go or withdrawing, although I heard several more clunks, and then the shuttle began to move. From the way it felt sluggish and heavy, even though I was riding as a passenger and not at the controls, I guessed we had Abby strapped to the side, and wondered how that worked.
When no answer was forthcoming, I stared at the wolfish faces sitting opposite me, and found them staring intently back. If my hands hadn’t been cuffed behind my back, I’d have been tempted to try and give them the finger.
“And then you’d have had a hard time next time you tried to pull the trigger.”
“So, I will get to hold a blaster, again!”
And he patted my thigh.
Dammit!
I shot him the filthiest look I could manage, wishing my hands were free so I could try kicking his ass. The look caused more than one wolfish face to crack a grin. Pricked ears and interested looks followed, all turned to the wolf that had brought me in. He left his hand on my thigh.
“As entertaining as that would be, I cannot. There is only one regen tank on board the Shady Marie, and it is currently occupied.”
Sadness washed through me.
Rohan.
“He acquitted himself well… but a human, even one as well-trained as that, cannot take on a shadow stalker and hope to win.”
I wondered what the fuck a shadow stalker was, and then decided I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. People said humans couldn’t take on an arach warrior, either, but I’d beaten more than a few.
“Barehanded?”
Now that he mentioned it….
“I didn’t think so.”
I decided not to argue with that. The one time I’d been close to barehanded hadn’t ended too well. If it hadn’t been for the chair and some well-placed Blazer solids, I wouldn’t have made it off K’Kavor. That regen tank had seemed like a second home by the time I’d come out of it again.
“A chair?” The damn wolf sounded amused. “Show me more.”
I glanced up at him.
“Don’t make me come in there and find it for myself.”
Like you could, I
