“Boris?”

She didn’t know how long they had been sitting in this cell, but even with Boris’s arm wrapped around her, she was growing more chilled.

Yes?

She couldn’t say this out loud, even though it was just the two of them here. “I didn’t kill him.”

Who?

“Loyrul. The man my uncle gave me to as payment for killing my parents. At least I don’t think I did. When I left, he was unconscious but breathing. Could a head injury have killed him?”

Maybe, but it sounds like his body disappeared.

That’s right. “Who would have done that?”

I am guessing he had enemies.

She snorted. “Many. He was a terrible man.”

How could he have disappeared? Why? Loyrul had power, money, why would he walk away from all of that?

He wouldn’t.

“He’s dead.” He couldn’t hurt her anymore. That tight knot in her stomach unravelled. “But his brother               obviously suspects I had something to do with him disappearing.”

Fear hit her hard and fast.

Boris pulled her onto his lap. I will not allow him to harm you.

How could he stop him? But she didn’t voice her concern.

“He deserved to die. But I doubt his brother will see it that way. Not if he is anything like Loyrul.” She swallowed heavily.

Pain. Humiliation. Fear.

You do not have to tell me, Boris told her gently.

“Yes, I do. I have never told anyone.”

Then tell me. His voice was low, calm, and gave her the courage she needed to continue.

“When my uncle gave me to Loyrul, I was in shock. I didn’t even realize exactly what was going on. He locked in a room without windows. Just one door that was always locked. He-he had me beaten and starved for days until I was weak. He liked to hurt people. Enjoyed it. His slaves had scars on their backs from where he had them lashed. Often. When he finally had me brought to his sleeping room, I knew what he had in mind, I knew I had no chance of reasoning with him.” She shuddered. “He grabbed me, pulled me to the bed, touched me…”

Shh. He touched a finger to her lips. Do not do this to yourself.

“I knew he would rape me. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to fight. I thought, maybe if I pretended to give in it would lull him into a false sense of security and give me a chance.”

Clever.

She shuddered. “More like desperate. He loosened his hold on me and I saw my chance. I slammed my fist into his nose. He grabbed at his face and I made a run for it. Just as I was nearly at the door, he grabbed me. I don’t know how, but I managed to grasp hold of this ugly ornament sitting on a dresser. It fell to the floor as he shoved me down and spread my legs. I stretched for it, I was so desperate, but I didn’t think I would reach it. Then just as he was about to-to…well, you know, I slammed it on his head.”

Her breath came in hard, fast pants.

He hugged her tight. 

“He fell on me and for a moment I didn’t even understand what had happened. Then I-I finally managed to roll him off me. Luckily, he wasn’t a large man. I was in shock, I guess. I wasn’t sure what to do. Thankfully there was a balcony leading off his bedroom. I climbed down this prickly plant which bit at my hands until they were ripped and bloody. Then I ran. How I wasn’t caught, I don’t know. I kept expecting to turn around and find him behind me. I snuck onboard a transporter and I’ve been on the run ever since. When I left the ship, I had nothing. I didn’t even know where I was.”

She had been terrified.

He rubbed his hand up and down her back in soothing motions.

“So that is everything. I do not know what happened to him.”

It matters not. He is gone and will not hurt you again. And neither will anyone else. I will make sure of that.

A noise at the door made them both stiffen. Then he stood, pulling her behind him.

 

***

 

Zoey whimpered as something tugged at her wrist. No more. No more. She couldn’t take it. She was in so much pain, she just wanted to be left alone to die.

“You are not dying. Now stop making so much noise,” someone snapped at her. “Wyan, can you free her other side, we need to move quick.”

In her haze of pain, the words didn’t really register for a moment.

“Get away from me, you shit-eating, pig-faced bastard.”

Dex! Dex!

My own?

For a moment, shock held her frozen.

You can hear me?

She’d been trying to reach him ever since she’d been taken.

Where are you, my own? I can sense your pain. Are you all right?

I’m fine. She really wasn’t, but she couldn’t tell him that. Please come for me. I’m on Alyya.

I am on my way. Just stay alive. I am coming.

“Full of compliments for you, isn’t she, Jecan?” an amused voice asked.

Suddenly, it hit her that it wasn’t that ham-fisted jerk Faru who was tugging at her ties wanting another game of punch-a-Zoey. She tried to force her eyes open, panicking when she realized she couldn’t. She tried again, managing to crack her left eye open just as her arms were lowered. She screamed as blood raced back into the abused limbs. How long had she been tied up?

“Stars, will the two of you keep her quiet? Are you trying to bring the palace down on us?” a voice snapped from farther away. Rafal. She panted heavily, whimpers coming from her lips even though she tried to stop them.

“Zoey, I am really sorry to cause you pain, but you must be quiet. We are trying to get you out of here before anyone notices.”

“Why?” she snapped, ignoring the voice in her head that was telling her to play nice, that they were helping her. Screw that voice. She didn’t care if they were the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus, she wasn’t about to trust them as far as she could throw them.

Which, in case you didn’t guess, was not at all.

“Because you are in danger,” Jecan snapped.

Funny how she could now tell their different voices. Jecan was always in a bad mood. He snapped and snarled constantly. Wyan was the caring one. Kinder. Rafal was a winter chill. Cold and distant.

“Wow, I would never have guessed that. Thank you so much for telling me.”

“You are welcome.”

“That was sarcasm, dude. I’m pretty sure I figured that out as soon as Faru turned his beady little eyes on me. And if I didn’t then, I cottoned on fast once he had his soldiers hold me down so he could beat on me.” She could feel a tugging at the ropes around her ankles. “Don’t you have knives or something?”

“These are jiji ropes. They are harder to cut through than normal rope,” Wyan told her. “Do not worry you will be free soon.”

She shuddered. “Better hurry. The little bastard got a hard-on from beating on me. If he hadn’t been called away then…” she gulped. “Just hurry, would you?”

All right, so she might not trust them but right now they seemed a better bet than the creep, Faru.

Zoey?

I’m all right. I love you.

I love you, too.

“There, done,” Jecan announced and her left ankle was free. Another tug and her right was freed as well. Someone lifted her gently into their arms. She blinked up through her good eye at Wyan.

“What’s wrong with my eye?”

Wyan stared down at her, his jaw tense. A muscle ticking next to his eye. “It is swollen shut.”

She reached up, her touch clumsy as she patted his face. “Dex gets that same tick by his eye when he’s mad. You’re related to him, aren’t you?”

Wyan didn’t answer, but she did notice him look over at Rafal.

“What makes you say that?” Rafal asked.

She snorted. “Contrary to what most people think I’m not stupid and I do notice things. Well, eventually. It took me a while to get past the shock of being kidnapped…again. But you look like him. And sometimes even act like him.”

“You have been kidnapped before?” Wyan sounded shocked.

She waved her hand though the air. “Long story. So?”

“We are his cousins,” Rafal confirmed.

Cousins, huh? As far as she’d been aware Thor was Dex’s only cousin. She filed that away for later. There were more important things to worry about right now. Like where were Boris and Nassir? “Where are we going?”

“Your mate needs to take better care of you,” Jecan snapped.

“He takes very good care of me,” she countered hotly. “It’s not his fault that asshole jerks keep kidnapping me. Where are we going?”

“We are going to the landing port to commandeer a ship.”

“Oh, we’re stealing a ship. Good. Let’s steal the biggest, most expensive one he has. Right after we go get Nassir and Boris.”

“We will not,” Rafal countered.

“Yes, we will.”

“No,” Jecan snapped.

“Yes. You got something to add?” she asked Wyan.

He shook his head. “I’m on your side, I voted that one of us should free the other female. These two outvoted me.”

“Democracy, ain’t it grand? Now it’s two against two because I say we get them.”

“Only you do not get a vote,” Jecan told her.

She gasped, outraged. “Listen, I am not leaving this planet without my friends. Either you help me find them or I will drag myself around this place until I find them.”

“You are not capable of rescuing yourself let alone anyone else,” Jecan told her. “Now be quiet.” He stepped out into the passage. Wyan followed, carrying her.

“They are my friends,” she half-whispered as Jecan pulled the guards bodies into the room. “Don’t you understand about loyalty? Friendship? Friends don’t leave friends behind. Now, you don’t have to come with me, but I’m going to rescue them.”

“Which is exactly what we came to do for you,” a quiet voice said from the shadows.

Zoey blinked, bringing her vision into focus as first Boris then Nassir stepped out. Relief hit her hard.

“Now it’s time to party,” Zoey said.

“Party?” Jecan asked. “There will be no party.”

Dex, we are getting out of here. We are stealing a ship.

I will find you.

The confidence in his voice calmed her.

“Sure, there will. I am so going to party when Dex chops Faru’s head from his body then stomps on it.”

“You are very bloodthirsty for a female,” Jecan told her.

“Got a problem with that?”

“Surprisingly, no.”

 

Nassir couldn’t believe that they had stumbled upon these three males and Zoey. They had rescued her, but why? What did they want with Zoey?

“We cannot stand here, chatting. Faru will be back this way soon,” Rafal said. “We would do better to split up and meet at the landing port.

“Fine,” Zoey said. “I’ll go with Boris and Nassir and meet you there.”

It was obvious that Zoey did not trust them entirely either.

“And who will carry you?” Rafal asked. “Boris? How can he fight if you get into trouble?”

“How did you get free anyway?” Jecan questioned.

“Apparently Faru has turned the people against him,” Nassir explained. “He has taxed them to the point of complete poverty while he lives luxuriously. Some of my father’s loyal servants freed us. They placed sedatives in the guards’ food. The majority of the guards should be incapacitated for the next few hours, which will give us time to leave.”

“You trust these servants?” Rafal asked.

“More than I trust you.”

Zoey snorted. “Burn.”

None of them paid attention to her. Then Rafal nodded. “Very well. Let us go.”

They made their way down the stairs and were headed towards the back entrance when a door to the right opened and Tazan stepped out.

“Hey, what is going on here?” his eyes widened as he took them all in. “Guards! Guar—”

There was a flash of light and then Tazan fell to the floor, unmoving. She looked over at Rafal as he lowered his blaster. “That was long overdue. Let us go.”

“I think not.”

She jumped with a gasp, turning to find Faru striding towards them, a contingent of guards behind him. As she turned the other way, she saw more guards moving towards them.

They were blocked in.

“Seems not all of the guards are sleeping.” Jecan sent her an accusing look.

“Surrender and I will make your deaths as long and as painful as possible.” Faru smiled.

“How generous,” Rafal returned with a cold smile. “But I think not.” As though moving in unison, Rafal and Jecan dived to one side of the corridor taking shelter to a doorway. Faru’s guards started firing and Jecan stumbled briefly then caught himself. Boris grabbed her, pushing her up against a large set of drawers that was thankfully thick and solid. Wyan had dived to the same place with Zoey and now pressed her up against Nassir. Nassir moved to cover her as best she could.

“Here,” Wyan yelled, handing each of them a blaster, before jumping to the closest doorway to return fire.

Do you know how to use this? Boris asked.

She shook her head.

Not part of princess training? He grinned. How he could smile at a time like this she had no idea.

He put her hand around the surprisingly light blaster. Just aim and fire. But try not to hit any of the good guys, huh?

He pressed a hard kiss on her lips before joining Wyan.

Nassir looked over at Zoey, who was also grinning. What was with these people? Didn’t they realize they were in real danger here?

“You and Boris are so cute together.”

Cute? Really?

Zoey grabbed her hand, squeezing lightly. “Now, go kick some butt. I could really use some quiet. My head is thumping.”

Nassir grimaced as she looked Zoey over. The other woman was wrapped in a sheet, but what she could see of her skin was already mottled with bruises and scratches. Rage filled Nassir. Her uncle had done this. He deserved to die. Leaning around the piece of furniture, Nassir started to fire.

 

***

 

Boris didn’t know how much time passed, but eventually he started to realize they were actually winning.

“I think he’s calling for back-up but they’re not coming. The sedatives, maybe?” Wyan called out to him.

Maybe. Whatever it was, he would take it. Soon just two guards were firing back. Boris killed one and Rafal took out the other. Cautiously, Rafal and Wyan stepped out. Boris returned quickly to Nassir and Zoey, nearly falling to his knees as he saw they were both safe. He knelt between them and drew them carefully towards him, placing a quick kiss on Nassir’s lips.

“Jeez, took you guys long enough, didn’t it?” Zoey tried to joke. He placed a finger on her lips. She looked terrible and she needed to conserve her strength right now.

“Jecan!”

He looked over his shoulder as the big warrior slipped to the floor. Wyan moved quickly to his side. “He’s been shot!”

Rafal knelt on the other side of his unconscious brother, but remained alert, his gaze constantly roaming. “Bandage the wound. We must get out of here.”

“What about Faru?” Nassir asked.

“He disappeared when the fighting began,” Wyan told her.

Jecan groaned, opening his eyes. “What happened?”

“You fainted,” Wyan told him, almost sounding cheerful. That was strange.

“I did not. Let me up. I am going after him.”

“You are going nowhere. We are leaving,” Rafal said.

“I am surprised Boris is willing to leave after what Faru did to his family,” Jecan mumbled.

Boris stilled, looking over at the brothers.

“What are you talking about?” Nassir asked.

“If you were not injured, brother, I would smack you around the head,” Rafal said impatiently. Then he turned to him. “I did not think you knew. Did you notice the way Faru reacted to you? He recognized you. You look like your father?”

Boris nodded. All males of his species looked similar to others, apparently, but they could easily tell each other apart.

Rafal sighed. “Years ago, your family was murdered, yeah?”

Boris nodded again.

“Faru was the one who ordered it. Tazan told us about it. Why Faru confided in him, I do not know. He must have been quite shaken by your appearance. He didn’t want an alliance with your planet. He thought it a waste of credits to help your planet, so he ordered your whole family murdered.”

Nassir gasped and pressed against him. “Oh, Boris, I’m so sorry.”

He looked down at her, then wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. He knew she would feel guilty over her uncle’s actions, even though none of that guilt lay with her.

“That bastard needs killing,” Zoey said. “Where’d he go?”

“I saw him run off in that direction,” Wyan pointed behind them. “He could be far away by now.”

“He will go to the treasure room first,” Nassir said. “He would not leave without the means to live.”

Treasure room? Really? He looked down at her. She shrugged her shoulders. “Doesn’t every palace have one?”

“If ours does, I’ve never gotten to see it,” Zoey told her. She brushed a hand clumsily over her hair. “And I would look damn good in a tiara.”

 

***

 

Ten minutes later, they tracked him to the long dining hall. Faru was pulling at all the huge paintings mounted to the far wall.

“What is he doing?” Zoey asked. “Redecorating?”

“I believe he thinks there is a secret passage. My father liked to say he put one in but it was just a joke between my parents.”

“What?” Faru turned and gaped at her. A sack lay at his feet, no doubt filled with things from the treasure room. He stepped towards them. “Your idiot father! He couldn’t even get that right! Stupid bitch!”

Boris snarled and Faru froze, then he held up his hands as he realized he was ignoring the true threat in the room.

Boris reached up and pulled a sword from the wall.

Faru’s eyes widened and he actually made a loud, squealing noise.

“Urgh, sounds like a pig,” Zoey complained. “He makes that same sound when he’s excited, FYI.”

“FYI?” Wyan asked.

“For your information.”

The others stood back, waiting for Boris’s lead. He was going to make this man suffer like he had done to so many Boris loved. His family, Nassir, Zoey.

“Listen, we need to talk about this,” Faru said hastily. “I’m sure we can come to some understanding. You let me go and I shall reward you richly.”

“With what?” Nassir asked. “My parent’s money?”

“This should all have been mine! Your father never deserved it. And if you had just done the right thing and died at Loyrul’s hands then there would have been no problem. Instead, you escaped and you ran. I should have just smothered you as a baby.”

 

Boris focused in on Faru. He felt surprisingly calm. This was it. This was the day he fulfilled his vow. And the man who had ordered his parents’ deaths would finally pay.

Faru stepped back, Boris followed, stalking him. Predator to prey. Faru bumped against the wall behind him. He had nowhere else to go.

Excellent.

Boris lifted the sharp-edged sword up to the other man’s neck, holding it there menacingly. His multiple chins wobbled, his googly eyes widening in horror.

“Now, see here, you wouldn’t murder an unarmed man, would you?”

Boris pressed the sword against his skin, drawing blood.

All the color left Faru’s face. His eyes shifted around, searching for an escape. They settled somewhere over Boris’s left shoulder.

“Nassir, niece, you wouldn’t let him murder your own uncle?”

“Um, let me summarize. You murdered Boris’s family, my family, and you basically sold me to someone who finds hurting others to be pleasurable. So that would be a no.”

Were this situation not so serious, Boris would have smiled.

Nassir was beginning to sound like Zoey.

The two people he cared about most in the world stood behind him. They were his to protect and they, along with his family, had all been hurt by this snivelling male…who had just wet his pants.

Nobody hurt those who belonged to him.

“Oh hell, did he just wet his pants?” Zoey asked. “Dude, he hasn’t even beat on you or anything. Have some pride. Even when you had your guards hold me down so you could beat me I didn’t pee myself.”

Boris’s anger grew. He did not dare look behind him at Zoey. Not because he thought Faru would make a move to escape. The fat, lazy creature was not capable of escaping him. But because he knew that seeing Zoey’s battered face would send him over the edge.

And he didn’t want to end Faru’s life too soon.

Faru moved his gaze to Zoey. “He is your slave, you must tell him to put the sword down.”

She snorted. “First of all, Boris is not my slave. He is my friend. I don’t tell him what to do. He does what he likes. I guess when you’ve been a complete and utter asshole your whole life you don’t understand loyalty or friendship.”

Faru sneered. “Friendship. Loyalty. You need none of that when you have power, when you are rich. I can buy friends.”

“No,” Zoey said quietly. “You can’t. And right now, as Boris’s friend, I’m telling him to do whatever he has to do. I’ll back him. One hundred percent.”

“Me also, Uncle.”

Warmth filled him to hear Nassir’s words. He was going to do what needed to be done, but to have their support made things easier.

“Besides, if he doesn’t take care of you, my mate will. So you’re just delaying the inevitable.”

“Nassir, you will have to live with my death on your hands,” Faru said.

“No,” Boris said. His voice sounded strange. Unused and rusty. Behind him he could hear gasps of surprise, but no one said anything. “Your death will be by my hands. Your blood will stain my soul. It will also cleanse it. You killed my family. My parents, my brother and sister. They were innocent. They had done nothing.”

“That was not by my hand,” Faru attempted to protest.

Boris pressed the sword closer and Faru let out a loud cry.

“You killed Nassir’s family and sold her to an evil man bent on hurting her.”

“I didn’t know what he was really like!”

“You beat Zoey.”

“Funnily enough, I wasn’t in the mood to be dressed up like a pony and raped,” Zoey added.

He knew his own inability to protect these two women from this man’s evil fed his fury, but he did not care.

“Nassir, Zoey, leave now.”

They did not need to see this. And the last thing he wished was for the two of him to fear him.

There was no movement. He reached for the connection between him and his mate.

Nassir, you will take Zoey and leave. Now.

Silence. He could feel her stubbornness and determination not to leave him.

Nassir, please. Zoey does not need to see this in her state.

A soft breath of a sigh breathed through his mind.

Fine. But I would like to hear you tell her that.

Did she think he had lost his mind?

“Come on, Zoey. Let’s wait outside.”

“But we’ll miss the best part.”

“Please, Zoey.”

“Oh, all right, but don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing,” Zoey grumbled.

A scream and a loud pounding noise came from outside the room. Wyan and Rafal ran out the far door.

Faru took that moment to attempt an escape. Boris pulled back his sword and swung, slashing his head from his shoulders. It rolled across the floor before his body crumpled to the ground.

It was done.

He had little time to think about how he’d fulfilled his vow. Instead, he turned to face the new threat.

“Is there another way out of here?” Wyan asked, entering the room. “There are a lot of angry people about to storm this place. Looks like the people decided to rebel.”

“Yes. There actually is a secret passage,” Nassir said. “Follow me.”

Wyan supported Jecan while Boris picked up Zoey.

Zoey pointed at the headless body as they passed. “That blood is going to be a real bitch to get out of white stone. I don’t think that baking soda and lemon is going to cut it this time.”