Chapter Twenty-Six
Ezah
“How do we know the human male gave us reliable intel?”
Aza murmured the question as me, him, and the rest of my brothers lay prone to the ground as we surveyed the location. We had been in such a position since night had fallen intervals ago, and we silently worked our way onto the property called New Farm where my mate, her sister, and the female Nicah were said to be. The human male warriors who patrolled the compound did not have good senses, but we took no chances as we infiltrated the area.
“Because,” I answered lowly. “The male was crying and urinated on himself when he gave us the intel. That’s why.”
One of my brothers to my right snorted.
Speak through our comms, Killi said. They’ll hear us.
“Their hearing is not like ours,” Aza answered him. “They’re nothing like us. They’re so … small.”
I couldn’t disagree with him. When we docked on Terra intervals after we set out after my mate, we landed our craft away from populated areas, then, fully concealed in our armour, Kol, Nero, and I headed towards the closest docking bay to gather intel. We remained concealed by wearing our armoured helmets to kept our identity hidden. Only two of human males I saw came close to reaching my height. It seemed the average height for a Maji female was an uncommon height for human males.
“She’s in there,” I said, changing the subject back to Levi. “I know she is.”
“Try contacting her again, baja,” Nesi urged. “We’re closer to her location, so maybe the connection to her will be stronger.”
“She’s shielding,” I growled lowly. “I’ve told you, she didn’t know how to shield before today. She’s scared, and it’s causing her mental wall to go up. She doesn’t even realise she’s doing it.”
My poor female, it was like I could feel how scared she was and how much she needed me. More than once since the mission to retrieve her and the two other females began, I had to talk myself away from the edge. The urge to storm the homestead in which Levi was thought to be was a tempting one. I desperately wanted to put all thoughts of logic out of my mind and allow my instincts to take over, but I couldn’t, not when my mate’s life was at risk.
Twenty-seven human males, Vorah’s voice checked in through our comms. They all have swords, but a lot of them have their human blasters.
Any sighting of a female yet?
None, he replied. I’ll keep watch, my prince.
“Vorah counted twenty-seven human males.” I relayed the information to my brothers. “No sighting of any females yet, but they’re here. I know they are. The crying male said Enik, who my Levi knows only as Master, is a new citizen of Terra, and he’s enlisted many males from the Watchmen Patrol to protect his property day and night. This male is a slaver who trades in human females. There is nothing he wouldn’t do to protect the disgusting line of work that he has chosen.”
“Agreed,” Raze growled. “He harms females, so he has fallen from the human way.”
“The humans don’t have a way,” I said. “They aren’t like us. If they were, they would have never had to come to Terra in the first place. They would have taken care of their planet and their females.”
My brothers nodded in agreement.
For a few intervals longer, we lay prone to the ground in silence as we watched the compound settle down for the night. The twenty-seven human males had become forty once the dark of night had fallen. I wasn’t sure if this level of security was normal for the property, but it didn’t matter. The numbers of the humans didn’t matter, either. Fifty human males would barely make up the honour of one Maji male. It was they who were outnumbered, not us.
When things were silent, I reached out to my mate and I was both elated and surprised when I found that the shield she had erected was down. I could feel her; she felt lost and scared.
Levi, can you hear me?
Yes, came her beautiful voice. I hear you. I miss you, nalex.
My whole body jolted.
“I’ve reached Levi,” I said aloud to my brothers and Nero. “She is not alert. I think she is sleeping. Her mental voice is distant.”
Don’t block me out, tola. You’re blocking your thoughts from me, and you don’t even know it. Your fear blocks your thoughts. Don’t be afraid. I am here. Let down the wall so you can hear me. You’re dreaming, my heart.
I felt her subconscious reach for me.
I’m at New Farm. Master took me from you. He took Nicah and Asia too, and he killed Nuni and Vorah. She whimpered. He’s taking me to his bed, he says so. He said he is going to make me his female, Ezah.