Pursued: A Sci-Fi Alien Warrior Romance (Raider Warlords of the Vandar Book 4) by Tana Stone (ebook reader txt) 📗

and your lip was purple and swollen. My frustration was quickly morphing into rage, my pulse racing from fury, not fear.

I assessed the number of raiders and their weapons. Maybe I could take out the Raas right here. I wouldn’t survive the fight, but at least I’d accomplish part of my mission.

No, Alana. The mission is to lead the empire to the horde. Assassinating Raas Bron is not enough.

“You can’t even give me safe passage?” I begged. “I promise I won’t be any trouble. You won’t even notice I’m on your ship.”

He scowled down at me then hissed out a breath. “I doubt that very much, human.” Then he cut his eyes to one of the raiders beside him. “Bring her with us.”

He stomped toward the door, leaving me with my mouth hanging open. It had worked? He was actually taking me on board his horde ship?

“Yes, Raas.” The scarred Vandar clamped a hand over my bicep. “What about the rest of the ship?”

Raas Bron’s tail flicked behind him, but he didn’t turn. “We take nothing but the female. The rest we blow up.”

My gut tightened. Blow up? The Zagrath general had also assured me that the Vandar would take the cargo and anything not bolted to the floor. They were raiders, after all, and were known for stripping ships bare.

I stumbled forward as the Vandar moved as one off the bridge, pulling me with them and following the Raas. If they didn’t take the tracked cargo, the empire wouldn’t be able to pinpoint the horde. They wouldn’t be able to come for me. I considered asking if I could pack a bag, but decided that would be pushing my luck.

Leveling my gaze at the broad back of Raas Bron, I shook off my growing sense of panic. I’d had setbacks on missions before. It was nothing I couldn’t overcome.

I was still the most deadly assassin in the empire. I would kill the Raas and destroy his horde. I swallowed again, this time welcoming the tang of the blood from my bloodied lip. I never failed.

Chapter Five

Bron

“Well?” I stood on my command deck and rocked back on the heels of my boots.

Corvak gave me a curt nod as the steel doors swished closed behind him. “It is done.” He stared straight ahead as he joined me in looking over the warriors at their standing consoles. “You are sure we should not keep her in my oblek?”

I flicked my gaze to the doors leading to his special chamber. “You think we should hang an injured female from your chains?”

“What do we know of her, Raas? How can we be certain she is who she claims to be?”

I did not always see eye to eye with my battle chief, but he was correct about this. I knew little of the female who called herself Alana. Her bruises were real, and her ship’s records had backed up her story, but that did not mean she could be trusted.

“She is in one of the officers’ quarters,” I said. “Not my chambers.”

Corvak inclined his head, acknowledging that this was different than what our former Raas had done when he’d taken the human female as part of the spoils from a freighter we’d raided.

“But not guarded,” he said.

Svar joined us, taking his post on my other side. “A female that slight is no threat to any Vandar on this ship.”

I was inclined to agree with my majak, although I did not want to admit how carefully I’d studied the female’s lithe body. It was true she was not tall, but it had not escaped my attention that her arms were roped with muscle, and the waist she attempted to hide under a baggy shirt was taut.

If she had been a worker on the imperial mining colony, it would make sense that she would be fit. The Zagrath were known for being relentless taskmasters. Still, I suspected she was not as weak and helpless as she appeared. Not if she’d managed to evade the Zagrath. I’d sensed a strength in her. Plus, she’d been brave enough to challenge a Raas of the Vandar. My encounter with her had stirred my blood like nothing else since I’d taken control of the horde.

Corvak shot a look across me at Svar. “No enemy should be underestimated.”

“You are both correct,” I said to settle the argument I sensed brewing. “She is no threat to our trained and deadly raiders, but she should not be underestimated.” I turned to my battle chief. “Assign a raider to watch her, but do not guard her door.”

Corvak raised an eyebrow. “He should not stop her from leaving her quarters?”

“I would like to test her,” I said. “See what she does if she thinks she has free rein to move throughout the ship.”

“Clever strategy, Raas.” Svar chuckled. “Allow her to reveal her true intentions without using force.”

Corvak growled, his top lip curling. “I still say I would get faster results if I were allowed to take her to my oblek.”

I clapped a hand on the warrior’s broad shoulder. “Let us try this, first.”

“As you wish, Raas.” Corvak snapped his heels together then spun toward the door. “It is done.”

When he’d departed the command deck to carry out my orders, I faced Svar. “I might not want her under lock and key, but I also do not want her lingering as our guest any longer than necessary.”

“We are not a transport ship,” he said with a solemn nod.

“No, we are not. We are raiders.” And the female had provoked feelings in me I could not indulge. I scowled as I pivoted back to face the wide view screen dotted with distant pinpoints of light. “Not that we have had anything to raid lately.”

“You could not have known the female’s freighter would be worthless, Raas.” My majak cleared his throat. “Why did we not take the cargo, though?”

“After learning what the Zagrath did to Raas Kaalek, I do not trust any cargo they might have