No matter how big or small the mission became, getting my female back would be war, and I knew that. When I was battle-ready, I left the weapons chamber and paused by Levi’s and my bedchamber. I moved inside and went straight to our bed. I picked up the furs she slept on, brought them to my face, closed my eyes, and inhaled her heart-warming scent.
My heart clenched.
“I’m coming for you, tola.” I opened my eyes, narrowing them. “I’m coming for you.”
I dropped the furs, turned, and left the chambers, then my wing without looking back. I broke out into a run as I left the palace and headed straight to the emergency docking station located at the back of the palace in our private port.
Bodies everywhere prepared the Novik craft for departure, and for a moment, I took it in. The nose of the craft was narrow, but I could see the dorsal hid firing cannons. The craft would not survive long against a destroyer vessel, but it would put up a damning fight against anything else.
“Time until the reactor core is at a sufficient temperature?”
“Already reached approving temperatures, my prince.”
I turned at the sound of the familiar voice, and when I saw Thane, a good friend of Kol and Nero’s, I nodded in approval. He was the best engineer the Maji had to offer. That was why he was the chief engineer of the Ebony crew.
“The Revered Father did not want to take any chances with retrieving your female,” Thane said. “I’ll be your chief engineer for this mission, my prince. It is an honour.”
“Thank you,” I said. “I won’t forget this, Thane.”
“My prince.” He placed his fist over this chest and bowed his head. “I will retreat to the engine hall. We are ready for take-off whenever you are.”
I nodded, and he left. I glanced around and realised the males who had been preparing the craft were gone. With a growl, I turned and stormed down the ramp of the Novik to find out where my crew had disappeared to, but what I saw when I reached its end brought me to a dead stop.
Raze, Komi, Killi, Arli, Arvi, Kol, Aza, Remi, Nesi, and Nero stood before me. They were all lined up in front of the craft I would be using to reach Terra, and like me, they were all geared up and dressed in a warrior’s ensemble. All of them gave me a firm nod that made my chest hurt with gratitude when I realised they were coming with me to rescue my mate.
“Thank you,” I rasped. “I’ll never forget this.”
“How many times do I have to say this?” Raze, my older brother, growled. “We’re brothers. We go to war for one another. Now and forever.”
The other echoed his words, except Nero.
“Nice speech, but you could have just said family instead of brothers, you know?” he said to my brother. “Excluding me when I’m standing right here is just rude, kin.”
I huffed a laugh, and so did the others. One by one, my brothers clamped their hands onto my shoulder as they passed me by and walked up the ramp of the Novik. Nero paused next to me.
“Let’s go get your female back.”
I nodded as emotion filled me.
Both my kin and I turned to enter the craft when a shout caught our attention. Two warriors were trying to restrain another male who was determined to get to me. I waved the guard off, and they released the male to stumble towards the craft. It took me just a couple of seconds to realise the male was Vorah, the intended of the human female Nicah. He was covered in blood.
“He took my intended and our daughter.” The male spat up blood. “He took them.”
He collapsed at my feet the second I reached for him. I didn’t have time to linger, so I jerked his body onto the craft and went down to my knees. Rapidly, I healed the male. He was badly injured, but whatever had injured him had luckily missed everything important in his chest. It took me less than a minute to focus my lissa and complete the job.
“Thanas.” Arli blew out a breath. “That was even quicker than when Surkah heals.”
I didn’t linger on it as I jumped up and pulled Vorah to his feet.
“You’re enlisted onto this mission,” I told him. “You have the right to fight for your female and young.”
The young, silver-haired male straightened. He was a little unsteady but after a moment, he found his balance. He touched his now healed chest and looked at me with wide eyes.
“Thank you, my prince.”
“Tell me what happened.”
“I escorted my intended and our daughter home after the feast. The human male was waiting for us. I had never smelled a human male before. I did not leave the Ebony when we retrieved the human females on Earth, so I did not know the scent meant danger. Before I could blink, the male stuck a small dagger into my chest. He knocked me on my head, and I blacked out. When I awoke, I was bleeding badly, but I knew if my female was gone, then so was yours. They’re linked from Earth.”