Free Captivated: 3 (Mating Ritual) by Ria Candro Page A

of concern.
    “She’s right there.” Cindra pointed at her. “I’ll be right back.”
    Bannor frowned but stepped aside so she could race over to where Mrs. Nashor stood.
    The woman dropped the tools, grabbing hold of Cindra’s shoulders as she came to a halt. “What’s wrong, dear? Are those offworlders bothering you? I’ll—”
    “No. No,” Cindra interrupted, furiously shaking her head. “Some Malucons have arrived. Their race…they destroyed my people. They saw me and…well, now they’re chasing me.”
    The concern on Mrs. Nashor’s face turned into full-blown alarm. “Oh dear, I had always suspected something of that nature had happened to you. Whatever shall we do?”
    “The Spygians.” Cindra gave the merest glance to where they stood awaiting her. “They’ve offered me sanctuary. A way off this planet. I must go with them.”
    Mrs. Nashor studied the four men for a moment, clearly measuring their worth. She appeared to understand the gravity of their situation, because she finally nodded. “Go, Cindra. Be safe.”
    “I…thank you.” Cindra threw her arms around Mrs. Nashor, putting the full force of her emotions into that one final hug. “You gave me a home when I had none and I’ll always be grateful for that. Please explain to Adamon after I’m gone. I…I can’t bear to say goodbye.”
    Mrs. Nashor nodded and released her. “Go, child. Go now.”
    Holding back a sob, Cindra turned.
    “Cindra.”
    Stopping at the woman’s voice, she faced Mrs. Nashor once again, memorizing the lines of the older woman’s kind face.
    “Guard your heart, Cindra,” Mrs. Nashor murmured. “Guard it well.”
    Cindra’s breath caught. She’d always thought Mrs. Nashor to be a clever woman, but perhaps she saw even more than Cindra had realized. “Take care, Mrs. Nashor. Goodbye.”
    Choking back the emotions clogging her throat and blurring her vision, Cindra ran over to the Spygians, who’d begun to fidget in their clear impatience to be gone from this place. Swallowing hard, she met Bannor’s eyes. “I’m ready.”
    With an emphatic nod, Bannor lifted his wrist once again and pressed a button on his cuff. Static electricity crackled the air. The space surrounding the five of them rippled, and within a matter of moments, the familiar landscape was gone. She wasn’t on Keulot anymore, but on a Spygian ship.
    And her life had just irrevocably changed.

Chapter Seven
     
    Devan deftly maneuvered the ship away from Keulot until he could finally activate the hyperdrive, sending them shooting into deep space. Given that the Malucons didn’t have the same level of technology when it came to entering other planets’ stratospheres—they used much slower space shuttles, rather than transporters, while keeping their larger, unwieldy ships floating out in space—they should be long gone by the time the Malucons even made it back to their ship.
    His gaze hard, Bannor reentered the control room. Shortly after they’d transported up, he’d left Devan in charge of navigating while he gave their mate a quick tour of the ship and then showed her to her rooms.
    Devan’s heart clenched in empathy when he recalled the shell-shocked expression on Cindra’s face. The events of the past hour had been understandably trying on her. Hopefully she could get some rest.
    Bannor strolled to the commander’s chair and took a seat. He let out a deep sigh, cracking his neck in a weary gesture. “We’re responsible for the Malucons traveling to Keulot, aren’t we?”
    “I’ve no doubt we are,” Stefon muttered from his chair. “When their ship passed by and took note of ours, they must have grown curious and decided to investigate.”
    Stefon only confirmed what each of them had already realized when they’d returned to their ship and spotted the Malucon ship nearby. Thankfully it appeared to have been deserted. This group of Malucons must have traveled in an unusually small number for their kind.
    Devan