The sounds of cheering on the command ship reached us, but I didn’t smile. Not yet. My mate was still out there.
“Understood, Captain. And Commander Phan?”
“I don’t know yet, sir. We’re retrieving her and Warlord Anghar now.”
“Gods be with you, Captain.” The line went dead and I pushed the shuttle faster, toward the small floating targets I knew were the Atlan and my mate.
We moved in close and I clenched my teeth as the Prillon warrior flew out the back of the shuttle. It felt like hours, but in reality it was only a few minutes before the Prillon returned, pulling both Chloe and Anghar with him.
He floated them into the rear of the shuttle and closed the exterior door. It took long minutes for the chamber to regain pressure and the interior door to open. I abandoned the controls to my co-pilot as I reached Chloe’s side and pulled the helmet from her head.
She blinked up at me, slowly, as if she were dazed, but she smiled. “We did it.”
“Yes, love. You did. You saved us all.” I knelt there and held her as the Prillon took off his suit and attended to the Atlan. We were in Hive controlled space, behind the now destroyed net, but I didn’t want to take any chances. I ordered the co-pilot to get us back to the main launch bay of Battleship Karter as quickly as possible.
Chloe
* * *
Things were insane back on the Karter. When our small shuttle was docked, support staff helped us off, assisting in removing the excess armor and weapons.
The commander himself approached before I even unstrapped my thigh holster.
“Commander,” he said. I stopped what I was doing and gave him my full attention. “Well done.” He glanced to Angh and the Prillon who was assisting him with his gear.
“He needs medical, sir,” I told him. Dorian stood at my side. I could feel our connection through the collar, so much more intense than the feel of his hand on my shoulder. Outwardly, he was chill. But I knew he was restraining himself for the sake of propriety.
“I do not,” Angh replied, a slight grin turning up the corner of his mouth.
“Excellent work, Warlord Anghar. Now get yourself and your beast to the med unit to be seen to. That’s an order.”
Angh looked to me. “I owe you my life.”
I shook my head. “We saved each other. I’d say we’re even.”
He didn’t like my answer much, but nodded, then looked to the commander. He shook off the Prillon’s assistance. “If I’m going to the med unit, I’ll walk on my own,” he grumbled. Based on that cranky tone alone, I knew he was going to be all right.
We watched his retreating form as he left the shuttle area. Others stepped out of his way. While they gave him deference because of his rank as warlord, it seemed they somehow knew he’d been the one to save us all.
“Chloe!”
I heard my name at the same time I felt the hot pulse of relief and possessiveness flood my collar. Seth.
I spun about as I was scooped up into my mate’s arms, a fierce hug that practically knocked the air from my lungs.
“Captain, give the commander some space,” Karter said.
Seth set me back on my feet, but didn’t let me go. “With all due respect, Commander, Chloe went past the net in a fucking space suit to set charges that blew up the fucking command hub for the entire net. Once that blew, one shot from the other shuttle annihilated the whole thing. What she d
id was fucking insane and dangerous and if I want to hold my mate, I will.”
Oh shit.
The commander was quiet as he studied Seth. I felt my mate’s defiance through the collar.
“I agree,” the commander finally replied. “Hold your mate. You both have earned it.”
Dorian cleared his throat and Karter shook his head. “All three of you have earned it.”