Page 66 of Lost in Barbarian Space

Honor went to move, but then she felt the cold barrel of a laser weapon at the back of her neck.

“You talk him down, girly, or I’ll kill you right now. He’ll be next, and I’ll leave your bodies here to freeze.” Alara’s voice was strong and steady.

Honor nodded. She wouldn’t let Colm get slaughtered like an animal.

She wouldn’t let the man she loved die.

With that revelation echoing inside her, she called out. “Colm?”

No response.

She pulled away from Alara and stepped closer to him. Her warrior was standing there, chest heaving, his eyes a brilliant glowing gold, assessing the pirates cowering before him. She peered at him, trying to see her warrior in there, somewhere.

“Warrior?”

His head turned toward her.

She wished her hands were free so she could touch him. “It’s Honor. It’s okay. I need you to come back to me.”

She took another step closer. She could see his hands were flexing. They were covered in blood.

“Colm. I need you.”

In the gold of his eyes, she saw a flicker of response.

He reached out and grabbed her, hauling her to his chest. She heard the pirates protesting, but she ignored them. Colm nuzzled her hair.

She turned her head and pressed her lips against his neck. “I’m here, my warrior.” She rubbed her cheek against him and wished again that her hands were free.

She felt the tension drain out of him. She pulled back and looked up. The gold was leaking from his eyes, leaving them the warm brown she knew so well. “There you are.”

“Honor?” His voice was hoarse.

“Yeah.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “The pirates will kill us if you keep fighting. We need to go along with them for now and wait for an opportunity to overpower them or escape.” She pressed her lips to his jaw. Felt a tremor run through him. “Understand?”

A slight nod. “But if they hurt you again, I’ll end them.”

She breathed deep, the scent of him filling her senses. They had a mission to complete, but she knew that after this was over, leaving this man would shatter something inside her.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Colm was barely holding on to his sanity.

His nanami were screaming through his body, crazed. His senses were fully expanded. He could hear every noise the pirates were making, even the rush of blood in their veins, and it was driving him mad.

No. He had to stay conscious. Stay sane. He had to protect Honor.

Protect his mate.

He closed his eyes. It felt so right. She made his nanami sing. She made him feel whole and powerful.

He opened his eyes. His gaze fell on the droid and he saw it pause. It moved toward a narrow tunnel entrance ahead. The pirates stopped at the entrance, murmuring among themselves.

Alara nodded her head. “Shank. You go first.”

One tall pirate with long hair halfway down his back squeezed inside. He had to turn sideways to fit. The droid floated in behind him.

One of the pirates nudged Honor to go next, and she slipped inside. Colm pushed forward to go in so he wouldn’t be too far away from her. He also turned sideways, and for him, it was a very tight fit. The ice scratched along his skin.