York (The Vorge Crew Book 3) Read online

  York shoved him, putting him back on his ass.

  Nodo’s dad rolled over and got up, attempting once more to tackle York. Her bond mate didn’t even try to avoid the large body coming at him, but instead kind of side-stepped, grabbed the man, and changed his direction. He released him fast, making him stumble into the still-downed second man. Their bodies tangled and both grunted, staying on the ground.

  York crossed his arms over his chest. “Are you done? I have a shuttle to catch.”

  “You ohlta!” The one with the broken nose spit blood out of his mouth. “No honor!”

  Part of the insult didn’t translate to Sara’s implant. It was probably for the best. The men stayed down, nursing their wounds, but shot vicious glowers at York. Sara approached, keeping a wide berth of the injured Parri to move to York’s side.

  “Nice work.” She smiled at him. “You know what? Now I’m getting hungry. It’s about lunchtime. Ready to go to your ship? I am.”

  He wiped his hands on his black uniform pants and took the bags from her. “Sounds good. I apologize for that, Sara.”

  “For what? You didn’t lose.” She winked.

  He grinned back at her.

  “You chose that ugly creature over my beautiful Nodo?”

  York’s face darkened a deep shade of blue, and he growled. “She is not ugly!”

  Sara put her hand on his arm and faced the elder Parri. “Here’s some advice. Maybe if your daughter could actually remember a guy’s name and not treat him like shit, he’d be more inclined to bond with her. Good luck finding some idiot to take her off your hands. I think you’re stuck with Nodo for life.” She glared at the one with the broken nose. “And you have a lot of nerve accusing York of having no honor. The three of you jumped him. Ever heard of a fair fight? Look that up so you don’t sound so stupid the next time you make wild accusations.”

  York smiled at her gently. “Let’s go, Sara.”

  She nodded. York moved her ahead of him, his touch comforting, and put his big body between her and the males on the ground. It was a courteous, protective thing to do. It made her like York even more.

  They didn’t speak again until they’d reached an alien standing in front of a small shuttle.

  He smiled and opened the door. “The Vorge, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “I recognized the uniform. I took another party up hours ago.”

  York ushered her into the shuttle and got her seated, putting her bags on the floor. She remembered something then. “We forgot to pick up your things.”

  “I had my friend Dovis do that this morning. He and his mate stayed at the same hotel as I did last night.”

  “Oh.” She belted in and York took a seat next to her. “Are you okay?”

  He nodded, examining his hands quietly.

  “Are you hurt?” She leaned forward, seeing some darker marks on his knuckles but no bleeding or torn skin.

  “No. Embarrassed.”

  “For what? You totally handled those three men well.”

  “Parri have a reputation for being violent, and it makes females leery of us. Males tend to use fists to work out their differences with each other. We’re barely bonded and already you’ve seen me in a fight.” His gaze locked with hers. “You’ve been very nice and understanding about this, Sara. I appreciate it.”

  “Nice has nothing to do with it. Those guys were asking for trouble. Your restraint was amazing. You put them on the ground quickly instead of toying with them. I have a feeling you could have inflicted a lot of pain and damage if you’d wanted to. I’m not afraid of you, or put off by what just happened, York. I’m glad you can defend yourself.”

  A small smile curved his lips as the shuttle engines came on. They were loud enough to make talking impossible unless they wanted to shout. The craft lifted off the ground with astounding speed, and Sara reached over, clutching his thigh in fear.

  York leaned close and put his arm around her, bending enough to press his lips to her ear. “It’s fine. I forgot you aren’t used to this.”

  She felt comforted by his hold and turned her head, putting her face against his chest. The shuttle shook a little and she turned toward him, latching on to his arm, too. It was a scary ride. They were hurtling into the sky at an alarming rate of speed.

  York pressed a kiss to the top of her head, holding her more firmly. She dared to stare at the front, spotting the pilot and, beyond him, the open sky through the view windows. They were leaving Relon and heading into space.

  When she’d been taken from Earth, the trip hadn’t been pleasant. Of course, she’d been in a cage and the cargo hold hadn’t had any windows. There’d just been a lot of motion, sound, and hanging on to bars for dear life. A padded seat with belts was a lot more comfortable.

  And this time, her future looked better. She had York.

  The rattling and shaking grew worse as they transitioned from the planet’s atmosphere into space. The sky turned black and the interior lights automatically kicked on to keep them from sitting in the dark. She heard the pilot speaking but couldn’t make out his words. Minutes later, she spotted a huge vessel.

  York pointed to it, and then the insignia on his chest. She understood. That was The Vorge. It was huge and nice-looking, almost big enough to be considered one of those luxury cruise ships on Earth, only it flew in space.

  And that would be her new home.

  The pilot docked and shut down the engines. He rose from the front. “We’re here. Thank you for flying with me.”

  York released her and they unbelted. He offered her a hand to help her up, and she was grateful for it, feeling oddly off balance. It was probably the difference between the gravity on the shuttle versus a planet. It had made her sick on the transport from Earth for the first hour.

  “Are you well? You’re pale.”

  “I’m not used to going from a planet and then not being on one.”

  “I understand. I’ve been traveling for three years now. You adjust to it.” He got the bags and firmly took her arm. “Just lean on me, Sara. Do you want me to carry you?”

  It was a sweet offer but she didn’t want him to see her as totally weak. “I’ll be fine.”

  The pilot let them out of the shuttle. She figured he’d already been pre-paid, since York didn’t have to give him creds or place his hand on a pad. They entered a docking sleeve and stepped into a corridor on The Vorge. York led her through the ship to a lift, and then they got out on one of the floors.

  She couldn’t help but stare. The last transport she’d been on hadn’t been nearly as nice. At least, not the part of it she’d gotten to see from the jail-like cage she’d been kept in.

  York stopped at a door, released her, and pressed his hand to the surface. It opened, showing her a nice room that reminded her of a hotel suite. It had a small living area and a huge bed in the far corner. An open doorway revealed a bathroom.

  “It’s not much but it’s ours,” York murmured.

  “It’s really nice!” She’d lived in a hovel on Earth. Her apartment had been a third of the size and not nearly as clean or updated. The ceiling was a good ten feet high, too. Bright lighting showed off every inch. Not just two bulbs that tended to burn out often and need replacing—when she could afford it.

  “Please, go in first.”

  She did, figuring he didn’t know about the wedding custom on Earth of carrying his bride over the threshold, which was fine with her.

  The furniture was modern, looked new, and appeared comfortable. She gawked a bit, taking in every inch of space. Not once did she ever think she’d get to live somewhere that big or clean. There weren’t water stains on the walls or ceiling. No faint scent of mold. Her new home made her smile.

  York drew her attention when the door sealed them inside, and he put down her bags. “I wish it was better for you.”

  She turned to him. “This is amazing, York.”

  He looked surprised.

  “This is the nicest