Free Marauder Kain: Scifi Alien Invasion Romance (Mating Wars Book 5) by Aya Morningstar Page B

out,” I say. “But you need to keep tight lips about that.”
    “What does that mean?” she asks.
    “I passed by three men,” I say. “They seemed to know–”
    “That was Felicia,” Kara says. “Blame her. But those three want out, and I’ve already started figuring it out. We are on mining duty with those three, and the rocks are several kilometers away from base. This is the best time to come and rescue us, so we’d need those three on board anyway.”
    Kara looks down at the body again. “Can you….”
    I open the door and drag Senka’s body out into the hallway.
    Felicia looks through her window with wide eyes, and she starts pounding on her door.
    I open her door and she shouts, “Is it time–?”
    I cover her mouth with my hand and push her into her room. I hear Kara coming in behind me. “Quiet, Felicia,” I hiss.
    I take my hand off her mouth, and she starts ranting excitedly. I cover her mouth again.
    “Make her be quiet!” I whisper to Kara.
    Kara gives Felicia a look, and I feel her body relax. She looks up at me. I take my hand off, and she’s quiet at last.
    “You cannot tell anyone else,” I say.
    “I thought it was already time,” Felicia says, pointing down at Senka. “Otherwise, why did you kill him?”
    “I need to build a certain reputation,” I say.
    Kara scoffs. “And what reputation is that?”
    “Someone that you do not fuck with,” I say. “A Marauder .”
    “Well,” Kara says, “I certainly won’t fuck with you. Not today. So can you please get the dead alien out of our cells?”
    I growl at her, and grab Senka’s leg. I drag him through the hall, like the piece of garbage he was.
    When I reach the gruel hall, I whip him across the floor and slide him up to some of the male prisoners’ feet.
    They stop eating and stare at me with terrified expressions.
    “Bury him,” I say.
    Now everyone stares at me. No one is eating anymore.
    “I hope everyone is listening to me,” I say.
    I point down at Senka’s body. “I hope everyone sees this.”
    They stare stupidly at me, as if asking me how they could not see?
    “This Marauder tried to force himself onto one of the female prisoners. This is not our way. Some of you prisoners may be new, you may fear for your lives. We may kill you, and we will force you to work, but no one should force themselves onto you. The penalty for this is death, and I will be the executioner. Do you understand?”
    No one even dares nod at me. I see dozens of shocked and stunned men and women, and they are hanging on my every word.
    “And one more thing,” I say. “I claim Kara. She’s mine.”
    I see some of the women look away. They think I’ve contradicted myself.
    “No one can claim you if you don’t want to be claimed,” I shout. “It’s your choice!”
    In the back of the room, I spot Raius. He’s trying to conceal a smirk, but failing. Either he’s happy that Senka is dead, or he’s happy that I specifically was the one who killed him.
    I ball up my fists, digging my nails into my palms. Killing Senka did not relieve my anger, it just made it burn hotter. I was supposed to be with Kara now, but because of this piece of shit, she doesn’t want to see me. As if we have unlimited time– as if I’m not trying to juggle two missions at once– three if you count training the Seraphim.
    And now another asshole– Raius– is standing in my way. He’s standing in front of the only way out of the prisoners’ quarters.
    I walk through the gruel hall with my back straight, and I try to swallow my anger. I don’t want to kill Raius, too.
    “Kain,” he says, once I’m near him.
    I shove past him, ignoring him entirely.
    Before the door shuts behind me, I hear his footsteps pattering behind me. I continue to ignore him.
    “I’ve been assigned to assist you in training the Seraphim.”
    “Tell Adus I don’t need your help.”
    Teal tendrils snap across my field of view, they interlink from both sides, and thicken