She stared deeply into his eyes. “You really want to marry me?”
“Yes.” He inched closer. “More than anything I’ve ever desired in my lifetime.”
She reached up and gripped his wrists in her hands. “I’m almost there. Give me just a little more time.”
“Anything you need.”
“Food for now. I’m hungry.” It was tempting to kiss him though.
He growled and released her face. “I was hoping you’d need me.”
She tightened her hold on his wrists. “I do. That’s hard for me to admit. I’ve been alone for so long with no one to depend on but myself.”
He twisted his wrists, breaking her hold, then clasped her hands in his larger ones. Crath raised one of them to his lips, brushing a kiss on her knuckles. “You can’t be rid of me. I will give you everything and never hurt you.”
“I want to believe that.”
“You will learn.” He smiled and lowered her hand. “I think seeing the other couples interact will help persuade you.”
“Ah.” He really was sweet. “So you’re plotting ways to give me no option but to say yes.”
“Always. I refuse to lose you. I also have a plan to give you a purpose.”
“A purpose?”
“We have law enforcement in common. You will be happy seeking justice.”
“You’re going to get me a job with you?” She wasn’t sure how to feel about that. “I thought you needed to take some time off? You said your last job went bad. Don’t jump back into work on my account until you’re ready. I’m going to need some down time, too, before I even think about a career. I’ve got a lot to learn first.”
“We won’t be working for anyone else. You want justice for what was done to you. I have thought of a way to force Earth to stop selling women.”
“How?”
“The Cristos.”
Anything to do with those horrific aliens had Kelsey feeling uneasy. “I need to sit.” She backed up, pulling him with her since he held her hand. They ended up on the end of the bed. “What are you talking about?”
“Unfortunately, Earth women seem to have become popular in the slave trade. It motivates criminals to steal them directly instead of buying them.”
Fear swamped Kelsey. “Do you think those creepy bastards might invade Earth? Why buy what they can easily kidnap and steal instead?”
“That is what I plan to report to the allied authorities. No one wants another war. The Cristos could use human women to expand their numbers to vast amounts and become a threat once more.”
She tensed.
“Calm, my Kelsey. The fear of another Cristos uprising will motivate everyone to make certain it doesn’t happen. Nara would call it a…bluff. Is that the correct word?”
“I think so. Your authorities would really care that much?”
“The Cristos were once out of control. They attacked planets and ships to steal females to increase their numbers. Their population grew alarmingly large until many races banded together to stop their spread of destruction. It was known as the Great War of the Stars. We won, and the Cristos that survived surrendered to avoid the decimation of their entire race. Laws were put in place to keep them from ever becoming a threat again.” He paused. “It is forbidden to sell them slaves, and any female must willingly agree to breed with their males—which of course they would never do, become they are aware of the consequences. That greatly prohibits their race from expanding to dangerous numbers again.”
“Earth isn’t obliged to follow alien laws, though. Right?”
“Not currently, but that will change after I let them know that the Cristos were buying slaves and wanted a human—you—bad enough to purchase you at an outrageously high price. They also pursued us. It will strike fear in the allied authorities when they realize the Cristos are aware of your race and how your own planet is selling so many females. Memories of the war are long and many lives were lost.”
“There shouldn’t be any slaves sold.”
“I agree, but not all planets and races are regulated by the same rules despite being a part of the alliance. Selling breeders to the Cristos is considered an act of treason against all existing planets. It doesn’t matter if they are allied or not. Whoever runs that space station where the auction was held will lose it for their crimes.”
Her eyes widened. “They’ll lose the entire station?”
“That is nothing. I gained the evidence that allowed the seizure of an entire planet on my last mission.”
“Why?”
“It was being run by a criminal who enslaved visitors and made them fight to the death to earn him money.”
“That’s your mission that went bad, right?”
He nodded. “I was captured.”
Kelsey gasped. “You were made to fight to the death?”
“I was rescued before that happened. Fortunately. The planet’s owner wished to keep me alive.” He hesitated. “I later discovered that I was betrayed. Someone placed a tracker on my personal shuttle and then paid for me to be taken and held while visiting that planet.”
“I hope you beat the shit out of whoever betrayed you.”
Sadness flashed in his eyes. “It was under my father’s orders. He had no idea I worked for the allied authorities.”
Kelsey was stunned to realize he had a crappy biological father too. “I’m sorry. Why did he do that to you?”
“He has no honor. He attempted to force my littermate into doing something unforgivable. If Cavas refused, Father threatened to have me killed. Cavas flew to The Vorge for help instead and they rescued me.”
Kelsey had no words so she just squeezed his hand.
“My father was removed from power and is now imprisoned where he is no longer a threat. Most of his litters didn’t wish him killed for his betrayal, but none condoned his behavior. We were all shamed by his actions.”
“It’s not on you or any of his other kids if he was an asshat.”
Amusement flared in Crath’s beautiful blue eyes. “I will remember that, my Kelsey. You are very intelligent.”
“I have my moments.” She winked. The urge to kiss him struck. She only hesitated for a second before leaning toward him and doing just that. She brushed her lips against his lightly, backing away before she got too distracted. “So you think the threat of the Cristos buying or stealing women from Earth will…what? Make your allied planet buddies bully my planet into not selling them at all?”
“Yes. It is possible that your planet has been threatened with an attack already, but they will be offered protection against an invasion if they agree to follow alliance laws.”
“That might not be the case though,” Kelsey admitted. “Humans can be shitty. They might continue to sell citizens to gain alien technology.”
“That’s why you are important for this plan to work.”
She didn’t understand.
“You know humans well, and were part of their law enforcement. I wish to offer our services in handling the ones who control your planet. We can do it from The Vorge. The allied authorities will ask for our input. You will get your justice by forcing the ones who sold you to stop doing the same to other females of your race. You will be saving countless women from slavery and possible death.”