Chapter Six – Sildon
He was weak.
There was no other explanation for why they were here, on a planet that was still far too close to the Zon Sanctuary, shopping. While he understood they needed to get certain things for the baby, Jada seemed to have everything from half the stores they visited. Maybe he should have just ransomed her to herself, rather than waiting on money from the Sanctuary.
Sildon sighed as Jada grabbed yet another soft toy and waved it in front of Isabel's face. The baby smiled and reached her grabby hands for it. He knew that he shouldn't let Jada delay their progress like this. They already had clothes, blankets, food, a crib that could be set to hover at four heights with a walk setting, and a dozen or so toys for Isabel. But there was something about seeing the way Isabel grinned when she was given new toys and the way Jada exclaimed over the cuteness of everything that made him reluctant to tell her that their shopping trip was over.
Is this what it feels like to have—?
He cut himself off quickly and shook his head. "Jada, we have enough. It's time to get back to the ship."
The human shot him an irritated glance. "But I'm not done yet. We're going to need more diapers."
"You bought four packs of the washable kind, how much more do you need?"
Jada adjusted Isabel in her arms and frowned. "I don't know," she admitted. "But I don't want to get to whatever backwater planet you're taking me to and find out that I can't take care of this child. And I don't think you want that, either. Do you?"
Sildon didn't reply. He shouldn't care. But maybe it was because Jada did care so much about Isabel that he was allowing this. It wasn't everyone who would love a child that isn't their own – a fact he knew very well.
"I understand what you mean, but we have enough supplies to last for a year, and you aren't going to be that long with me. If everything goes according to plan, you and Isabel will be back in the Sanctuary in only four standard months." Sildon tapped the toy against the mobile bank he wore on his wrist to pay for it, then tucked it into a bag. Grasping Jada's arm tightly, he pulled her away from the open-air toy store. "Come on. The Planchets will be after us, too, remember."
Jada winced. She glanced around as though expecting Planchet enforcers to be creeping up on them as they spoke, but of course, the only people around them were other shoppers. Still, he noted that she held Isabel a little tighter. Without a word, she nodded and let him lead her back towards the ship.
It was a shame they couldn’t stay longer on this planet. It had a slightly heavier gravity than he was used to, and that would be excellent for training in. The air was clear of pollutants as well, and the large yellow-orange flowers that grew everywhere reminded him of the garden he vaguely remembered his mother working in.
They were almost on the ship when a voice spoke from behind them. "Jada Isles?"
Sildon jumped. He turned, dropping the bags he carried–and two thin blades crossed over his throat. Jada gasped. An Aphrosian woman held the blades, her blue skin gleaming in the sunlight while her golden eyes glowed. Unlike the usual slenderness of her species, she was as muscular as he was. Two male T'shav stood on either side of her. One had a beard and mustache that was indicative of his status – half-human. Zon's son, Tom, with the two warriors that accompanied him on his missions to retrieve humans taken from the Sanctuary. Tag, the genetically enhanced Aphrosian, and Ronan the reformed mercenary.
"That was a neat trick, blowing up your escape pod," Tom said. "But you'll be returning to the Sanctuary now. Dead or alive."
Sildon growled. His fingers twitched, longing to draw his weapon even though he knew he didn't have the skills to fight three trained warriors. Tag pressed her twin blades harder against his throat. He glared at her while she smirked.
"Excuse me, but what do you think you are doing?" Jada's angry tone shocked Sildon. He twisted his head to see her awkwardly shifting Isabel to her hip while she attempted to pick up the bags he had dropped. She gave Tom a withering glare. "Here we are, buying things for our little girl that we just adopted, and then you people show up and make my mate drop all this stuff. Look at it! It's covered in dirt. Do you know what sort of germs and parasites that alien earth can contain? So help me, if my daughter gets sick because of you…"
She was lying for him? Tom couldn’t keep the surprise off his face. Tag didn't lower her blades, but her smirk increased. She opened her mouth, but Tom shook his head and she closed it again. The warlord's son studied Jada for a moment before stepping a little closer to her.
"Miss Isles, this T'shav is known to have abducted you from the Sanctuary."
Jada shook her head. "He did nothing of the sort. We wanted to take a ride and the Sanctuary completely overreacted, coming after us like that."
"How do you explain this situation, then? If it was a misunderstanding, why didn't you tell us that, rather than faking your deaths and stealing a new ship?"
Uncertainty flashed over Jada's face, but she tossed her head, making her curls bounce, and her face took on a superior look. "How do you explain the baby if he kidnapped me?"
"The child isn't the issue. I think that you're afraid of him, and that's why you're lying," Tom said, his voice soothing. "If you're pregnant—"
"I'm not pregnant," Jada snapped. "I can't get pregnant. I've had men leave me over that before. But Sildon is my mate now. As soon as we saw each other, we realized we were Starmates, and we decided to adopt and start a family."
Tom narrowed his eyes. "That in no way is an answer to my question. We are returning to the Sanctuary, and we'll resolve the situation there."
"Oh, for Pete's green beans!" Jada smacked the blades from Sildon's throat. The three Sanctuary enforcers looked a little surprised. Sildon reached for her hand, concerned that she might have cut herself. But Jada wasn't paying attention to any of that. "Will this convince you he's my mate?"
She threw an arm around his neck and pressed her mouth to his. A thousand thoughts burst over Sildon's mind. Why was she doing this? He had kidnapped her, it wasn't like she owed him anything. What was she after? Did she just not want him to die? She didn't know what he wanted, all she knew was that he was planning to ransom her back…
Sildon groaned as Jada deepened their kiss. It didn't matter what she was doing. Only that it worked. Which it probably wouldn't, so he might as well enjoy this while he could… The taste of Jada's lips was sweet, her tongue quick and wicked. If it weren't for the three very bemused expressions staring at them, Sildon might have forgotten that this wasn't a real kiss.
It seemed to him that Jada did, in fact, forget. Her eyes slid closed and she brought herself closer to him. When he moved back, she moaned in disappointment. Her eyes opened again. The two stared at one another, panting for a moment before she turned to Tom and the others.
"Proof enough?"
Tom shook his head. "Let's not make this difficult. Your things might get even dirtier."
Sildon reached for his sword, but before any of them could move, a shout came from behind them. A dozen soldiers in full armor were marching down the street, all with their blasters at the ready. The three Sanctuary enforcers turned, weapons at the ready, closing ranks. Sildon grabbed Jada and shielded her with his body even as he searched for their attackers. His heart seized.
The symbol of the Planchet Corporation was emblazoned on their chest plates.