When they neared Tourmalane, Warver reached out to their royal family. After receiving permission to land, theMystic7andPryxusset down on the small planet. A handful of guards, along with Prince Vandir, greeted them. As Tark’s feet sank into the soil, he tried to contain his aggression. If any of them had harmed his Suki, then he didn’t care if he started an intergalactic war. They would all pay in blood.
The prince smiled. “Welcome to Tourmalane. My father says you’re looking for a human called Suki.”
“Yes,” Tark said. “My mate. She was abducted. The slaver who snatched her came this direction, and your world was the only showing a human readout.”
Prince Vandir nodded. “Of course. We do have a few new additions to our world, all human. Perhaps your Suki is one of them. Come to the palace and I’ll arrange for the females to be gathered in a central location.”
Think it’s a trap?Tark asked Pendrik.
Might be. Only one way to find out.
Tark nodded.If I don’t make it, get Suki home. She’s all that matters.
They followed Prince Vandir and the guards through the city walls and into the palace. King Razyr and Prince Drexyl were waiting as they stepped through the palace doors. At Drexyl’s side was a petite human female. Not his Suki, but it explained at least one of the humans that appeared on the scan.
“What’s this about a missing human female?” King Razyr asked.
“My mate, Suki, was taken,” Tark said. He told the king about her capture and how they’d followed the slaver through a MECO.
“What does your Suki look like?” the female asked.
Drexyl placed an arm around her waist and drew her closer, but she merely smiled up at him.
“Forgive my husband,” she said. “He’s very protective. My name is Lucie. You’re safe here, and so is your mate if she’s among the women recently dropped off.”
“Dropped off?” Warver asked.
“We often buy human female slaves when they come through this area,” King Razyr said. “It provides them a safe place where they’ll receive any care necessary, and gives them the option of finding a mate among our people. We purchased several today off three different vessels.”
I only saw the one ship, Norkov said. Tark nodded. He too had only seen the one, but that didn’t mean the others hadn’t been cloaked. For that matter, there was no guarantee the ship they’d seen was the same slaver who had taken Suki.
“My Suki is small like you but much slimmer,” Tark said. “Her hair is dark and long. Her eyes are shaped differently than yours.”
“She’s young?” Lucie asked. “Maybe late teens or early twenties?”
Tark nodded, not liking the reminder of their age gap. He hadn’t brought it up since Suki didn’t seem to care, but he knew she had to be at least twenty years younger than him. He’d been more concerned over his cybernetics scaring her off. His sweet Suki accepted him though, no matter how he looked.
“I believe your mate is here,” Lucie said. “But she was injured. Follow me. If the woman isn’t your Suki, we can gather the others.”
Drexyl growled and narrowed his eyes, but Lucie merely patted his arm. “He’s mated, Drexyl. Nothing will happen to me. What would you do if your roles were reversed?”
Drexyl released her and Tark followed her through the palace. They entered a large room with multiple med bays. As Tark drew closer to the only pod with a closed lid, he saw his Suki through the glass. He reached out, running his fingers over the surface.
“Your mate?” Lucie asked.
“Yes. What’s wrong with her?”
“Healer,” Lucie called. An older Tourmalane came over. “This is Suki’s mate. Could you please tell him what you’ve discovered?”
The male nodded. “Your human female sustained several lacerations, some contusions, head trauma, the bones in her right hand were broken.”
Tark stared at his mate, his heart feeling heavy. He’d failed her.
“She’s also pregnant,” Healer said.
Tark jerked his gaze to the older man. “Pregnant?”
The male nodded. “If you’ll provide me with a blood sample, I’ll be able to tell you if the child is yours.”
