Free Tha-lah by Nena Duran Page A

telling him. He couldn’t go on thinking she was a sexual plaything for a debauched prince. The others didn’t agree, by the looks on their faces.
    “Do you mean Security Chief Mah’yanna? She’s kept under heavy guard on a small asteroid.” Ne-yii told them that about a month ago three Jog’nafan packs had showed up and taken control of the abandoned rock.
    It’d been used as a testing facility for bio-weapons under Kreeh’nosh rule. The small lab remained ignored because it was outside the interconnected cluster, accessible by shuttle only.
    Rumors started circulating shortly after about the death match against a Pendo’rahn officer. Bets had been placed all over the galaxies with odds against her survival. Some even said she was part of a Kreeh-noshian experiment.
    “When is this fight?” Her mate tried to keep his anger under control for her sake, but it was like trying to cage a living thing.
    “Tomorrow.”
    Instead of two or three days to plan their strategy, they had to move up their timeline. Failure wasn’t an option.
    “Commander, we must act now before it’s too late.”
    Her mate proposed a preemptive strike, since the element of surprise was their best chance. They all feared for the security chief.
    “Agreed,” Dru-lah answered, clenching his jaw.
    Tha-lah knew she could help clear the officer’s head before the mission. It’d be interesting to see her mate’s reaction during a healing session.
    “Wait, there might be another way.”
    Ry-ahl explained that a supply ship was due to arrive in one hour. The freighter captain was a member of the Jog’nafan royal pack secretly working against the Kreeh-nosh.
    “I’ll fetch my things,” Tha-lah said.
    When two elite warriors blocked her way, she questioningly looked at her mate. He just shook his head.
    “I can’t let you go. It’s too dangerous.”
    She tried to step away, but he held fast. Why couldn’t he understand how important it was for her to be there?
    “Warrior, surely you know the security chief will need my help. I have to be there when you find her.”
    Neither of them was willing to compromise. He wanted to protect her. She understood that much.
    “You’re staying, and that’s final.”
    Unyielding is a warrior on the path of vengeance. Wise is the one who opens a new one before him… Tha-lah considered the passage in the ancient Trac’xian codex. This wasn’t the time to argue. One of them had to concede.
    “I beg your pardon, but who are you to decide?” Ne-yii asked, reaching over and taking her hand in his. Few people were now able to touch her without making her recoil. Her father was one.
    “Oops, it’s about to get real, priestess.” She groaned inwardly at Xy’s twisted sense of humor. “You might as well spill the beans.”
    Tha-lah promised herself to come up with a suitable penance to punish the rascal.
    “I’m her mate,” her warrior declared proudly. “She’s mine.”
    “Is he speaking the truth, my daughter?” her father asked softly, his voice devoid of anger.
    “Yes, Ne-yii, we’ve bonded. This is Groo’lat, my mate.”
    Those simple words sounded so incredible to her. To think that just two weeks ago, she’d been a surrogate. Now she was a wandering priestess with a Pendo’rahn elite warrior as a branded mate. The goddess had infinite wisdom, indeed.
    “Then you must listen to him and stay here.” Her father’s words were so unexpected. He’d raised her to always speak her mind, always stand up for herself.
    “Ne-yii…” It should be up to her to make that decision, even if she knew deep down they were right.
    “This operation needs their full attention. I’ll stay with you. We have a lot of catching up to do.”
    She nodded and gave her mate a little disappointed jab.

Chapter Fourteen
     
    The Elite
     
    The loading docks were located on the largest asteroid in the belt. It was one of the busiest hubs in the entire network with new ships constantly arriving. Every corner