The Pirate Prince (5 page)

“If you wanted to come with us, all you had to do was ask,” the dark haired man, who was obviously the captain of the pirates, said with a wink as she struggled to be free of the red man’s burly hold. He leaned over, picking up her knife only to shove it into his waistband. “Dev, get her on board the ship. We’ll figure out what to do with this one later. It’s getting too heated down here.”

Mei blinked. Even though she took in every detail of the encounter, it only took a matter of seconds before she was being hauled off on the red man’s shoulder. She opened her mouth, but the jarring movements against her stomach kept the words from coming.

Dev was too strong and she couldn’t get free. Pushing up, she saw her brother running after them. Behind him was the mountainpalaceofShan Gung Din . Suddenly, she didn’t want to be free. She pretended to fight, but didn’t use all the moves she knew to get loose of the giant. Part of her wanted to be gone.

When she had jumped off the royal Zhang ship, she hadn’t intended to get caught.

But, now that she was, she was going to let them take her. She tried to reason that it was because she wanted to save thepu ren they stole. However she knew she was lying. She wanted to run from the future her great-grandmother laid out for her. She wanted to run from Prince Song Lok.

Chapter Three

Jarek looked over his shoulder, as he ran toward where they hadThe Conqueror cloaked from view on top of the space dock building. WithJackson ’s innate climbing ability, the man had already gotten to the top of the building and had tossed down a rope

ladder for the rest of them before they got there. Everyone was already on top of the roof when he heard the ship engines kicking on.Jackson leaned over the side, motioning them to hurry.

Hearing a noise, Jarek glanced over his shoulder as they reached the ladder. Dev carried the slender woman who was trying to escape her master. The poor thing was so scared of her owner that she’d risked her life jumping off his ship. Jarek didn’t want another passenger, but what else could he do? Leave her to be beaten for an attempted escape?

Besides, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t attracted to her. There had been a moment when their eyes met, right as she was flying at him. The dark brown of hers met with his and he felt a shock all the way to his gut. It was blinding, liquid desire. For that second, his blood had slowed in his veins, so thick his heart couldn’t pump it. He’d opened his arms to her, unable to do anything else. Then she hit him like a phazer blast to the chest, knocking the wind from his lungs and consequently knocking his senses back into his head. In the midst of escaping from Imperial warriors was definitely the wrong time to be mentally undressing flying women.

Even when they look as delectable as she does.

“Ni shi bai chi!” the little woman over Dev’s shoulder yelled as Jarek motioned for the man to go first. Jarek didn’t understand her and didn’t have time to analyze the tone. By the dialect she spoke, it was hard for him to decipher her mood by the tone of her voice anyway. “Yang gui zi!”

“Hold on,fea , we’re getting you out of here,” Jarek assured her, assuming she was scared. He turned to the side, seeing the guards running toward them. “No reason to be frightened. We do this all the time.”

“That’s not—umph!” Her yell was cut off by Dev’s jarring movements as the man climbed up the rope ladder still carrying her.

Dev was on the roof in a matter of seconds and Jarek climbed up right behind him. As he reached the top, the palace guards caught up to them. “Hurry it up,”Jackson yelled, reaching over the side to pull Jarek up by his arm.

Then, taking the knife the woman had dropped in her escape, he sliced the rope ladder.

The guard half way up the side fell, taking the others with him as they tumbled to the ground.

Jarek laughed, saluting the fallen men. Then, his eye caught the noble who’d been leading the woman around—her master. His face was contorted with anger as he ran for the building.Jackson pulled Jarek’s arm to get his attention. Everyone was already onboard the ship as he followedJackson to the loading dock.

“Go, go, go!” Jarek ordered, jumping on as the door was closing. He looked out onto the rooftop. Just before the narrow slit of the closing door blocked his view, he caught a glimpse of the woman’s owner landing on the building, as if he had jumped from the ground.

“Super Nebula!”Jackson swore. “Did you see that?”

Breathing hard, Jarek laughed, resting on the metal floor of the cargo hold.

Excitement pumped in his veins, invigorating him like nothing else could. The ship jolted as they took off. A box slid across the floor, bumping his leg but it didn’t hurt. He knew Lochlann was most likely piloting the craft and trusted the man to get them out of there.

Looking up from his prone position, he orderedJackson , “Go check the engine. Stay with her until we’re clear. I don’t want anything happening like in Alphet Principal. We can’t afford to have the engine blow out if they give chase.”

“On it.” The man was instantly on his feet, running to do as Jarek bid.

Taking one last deep breath, Jarek kicked the box away from him and got to his feet. The ship shook, knocking him around as he stumbled toward the cockpit. Bright

light lit the corridor, running in intermediate strips like arches along the walls and overhead. Jarek slammed against the metal wall, only to be thrown to the opposite side a second later. The ship angled and his feet slid as if the gravity controls were slipping.

Lochlann soon had the ship righted and he was able to continue on.

“
Gun dan!”

Jarek heard the rescued woman screaming and grinned.

“Daì ruò mù ji!”

Poor thing was probably scared out of her mind from all the action. Being captain, it would be his duty to ‘comfort’ her later. But, for now, he had an Imperial army to outrun.

Reaching the cockpit, he nodded at Evan in the co-pilot seat. Lochlann was in the middle of switching controls as they broke the planet’s atmosphere.

“Bravon’s Furnace, Evan,” Lochlann growled, even though he grinned. Each one of them loved the adrenaline rush of such things as outrunning guards. “You couldn’t see that one coming?”

“I can read people, not predict the future, space cadet,” Evan said good-naturedly.

“We got a ship coming fast.” Lochlann pointed to a transparent navigation monitor that floated above the console. It showed their position and that of other ships.

“Straight up our asses.”

“It’s Líntianese,” Evan confirmed with a touch to the ship’s computer panel. The craft’s round design was distinct, giving it instantly away. “And the bad boy doesn’t look happy to see us go.”

“Always wanting to wine and dine us, aren’t they?” Jarek laughed. He grabbed hold of the back of Evan’s chair, as Lochlann took an evasive turn. Staring at the screen, he ordered, “Do whatever you have to,Loch , but get us out of here.”

* * * *

“Shen jing bing!” Mei yelled at the red demon who tossed her on the small bed.

The ship jerked, signifying a rough atmospheric change. They’d reached space. She knew what it felt like because she’d left orbit before. It had been just another part of their education—piloting spacecrafts in case of emergencies.

The room was tiny, especially compared to what she was accustomed. It lacked the luxury of decoration and design, as it was rectangular and constructed of mostly metal. However, the bed looked comfortable and there was enough space to move around in. A small decontaminator was built adjoining the room. By the looks of it, the pirates weren’t very rich. She could tell by the ship’s style and the fact that it had been on the roof of the docking building, that it wasn’t a Líntianese vessel. Finishing her quick assessment, she turned to her captor—the red giant.

Dev grinned. He wore all black. The color matched his eyes and his shortly cropped hair. It actually looked stunning next to his red skin. “I assure you, my lady, I am quite sane.”

Mei paled. He understood her? She’d been yelling obscenities at him since before they boarded the ship. She just assumed none of them knew what she was talking about.

Blushing, she took a deep breath. Watching him carefully, she made sure he wasn’t going to try anything. His stance wasn’t leering or sexual so she doubted that would be his intent. Good thing for him. She knew about a dozen ways to rid a rapist of his manhood.

“And I highly doubt you have the anatomy you claim to possess, let alone truly wish for me to put it in my mouth.” Dev’s grin widened as if he could read her suspicions. He looked like he was teasing her, but Mei was frightened by him and could merely stare, concentrating on hiding her emotions. The red man straightened his back, his black eyes taking her in. “Forgive me, my lady. I amSalebinaben Johobik en
Dehauberkelsain en Thoraxian en Yyrtolzx Devekin.
”

Mei frowned in concentration. He spoke so fast. Slowly, she repeated,

“
Salebinaben Johobik en Dehauberkelsain en Thoraxian en....”

“...Yyrtolzx Devekin.”Dev nodded, looking impressed. “But you may continue to call meshen jing bing if it makes you feel better.”

“Your leader calls you Dev. I shall use that.” Mei lifted her chin, giving him her most regal look. “Now, I will know by what right you kidnap me and Emperor Song’spu
ren
.”

“You’ll have to ask the captain. I was just following orders.” Dev nodded, backing out the door. He lifted his hand to the door sensor. Before he could shut it, she asked, “You know who I am? You said

‘my lady’.” “All women aboard this ship are a lady,” Dev answered, running his opened hand across the sensor. The door slid shut between them. Mei took a deep breath. Was the title mocking of their prisoners? She doubted it was said in respect.

Shivering, she thought of the pirate captain. As she was forced onto the ship, she’d gotten a good view of the man—perhaps more than she wanted as Dev held her upside down. By her guess, he was a human male, or in the very least a humanoid. His eyes had glowed with gold flecks signifying there was some other kind of blood in him.

If she had her guess, she’d say he was a shifter of some sort. The thought thrilled her.

She’d read of shifters, but had rarely seen a full shift.

Mei hated to admit that the man intrigued her on a very primal level. She wasn’t stupid. She knew what lust and desire were. She’d even had a few lovers in her lifetime.

After all, she was forty-seven years of age. It wasn’t as if she had been conceived that very morning. Though, in her experience, men usually came with more strings attached than she liked.

Looking around the room, she shivered anew. The walls bore down on her as the impact of her decisions hit her full force. In the midst of the fight, all she could do was think of how she wanted in on the action. The wind had stirred, calling her, telling her to go. The element was a wicked temptress. It always had been to Mei. The wind got inside her and urged her to be free, just as it was, blowing wherever and however it willed.

Then, as she was lying beneath the strong pirate captain, she’d just wanted to be free of her duty, of the Song palace, of her future with the stoic Prince Lok. She wanted the freedom that the pirate captain represented. And, there was no denying it, she wanted the pirate as a lover. There was danger and excitement in him, a sense of the unknown.

The intoxicating power of it overwhelmed her blood, making her heart beat so fast she could barely breathe. There was a seduction to that facet of his appearance. He was everything she shouldn’t have, but he did represent, albeit to the extreme, everything she’d ever wanted.

But now, the reality of what she had done was setting in. There were some impulses that shouldn’t be followed.

She was a princess. These were pirates. What would they do if they found out who she was? Would they ransom her? Sell her into slavery on the black market at the Torgan sex slave auctions? A princess would undoubtedly fetch a high price for such men. Then why had the wind whispered to her to go? Did this ship have something to do with her fate in marrying Prince Lok? Was this her way to deny fate? Would she have to trade her family, her life, and her home for freedom? Even as she thought it, she knew she couldn’t do that. She would never give up her family and her homeland, even if that meant marrying a man she could never love. If fate needed her to marry Prince Lok, she would do her duty and marry him. There was more to life than marital bliss and love. She would comfort herself with that. And, hopefully, a mutual affection would grow between them in time.

The ship jerked erratically and she knew they were making a rough getaway from her brother’s men. Haun would not sit idly by while the pirates took his sister. What if he was hurt rescuing her? What if they shot at him? What if he was killed? How could she ever live with herself?

“Blessed ancestors,” Mei whispered, gripping the soft blanket that covered the bed as the ship shook

wildly back and forth. “What have I done?”

* * * *

Jarek slid into Evan’s chair as the man ran to joinJackson in the engine room. They’d lost power when the Líntianese starship had pelted them with shocks of energy.

The large viewing screen before them blurred as they sped through the stars. It took almost all the ship’s energy just to keep up the high speeds.

“Who in the star blazes is that woman?” Lochlann growled. “Wealthy man’s concubine,” Jarek answered, reaching to divert energy from the life support system to the thrusters. The corridor lights dimmed.

“I envy you then,” Lochlann laughed, not looking over from where he manned the ship’s controls. There was a preoccupation to his tone as he maneuvered the ship.

“Why’s that?” Jarek asked. A magenta haze grew across the viewing screen.

“Well, if she’s worth this much firepower, she must be good in bed.” Lochlann flashed a wide grin. Another shock of energy hit, shaking them. “Bloody Nova, I wish Rick were here.”