I broke.
My hands slipped from the rope and I plummeted to the ground. My ankle twisted, pain shooting up my leg, intensified until I felt my bones crack.
Broken leg? I didn’t care.
I’d made it. I was here.
I crawled across the floor and dragged myself up the side of Kovo’s bed, standing on the leg that still worked. I touched his face. Already his body was going cold. “I’m here, Kovo. I’m here.”
I collapsed over his chest, the broad, warm chest I’d slept on just a few hours earlier. And heard nothing. No heartbeat. No breathing. Sobs churned in my chest, rising from my broken heart to choke me.
He was gone. They’d already done it. They’d killed him.
I lifted my head to find Helion. I was going to rip his throat out with my teeth.
There. Just a few steps away.
Leaving Kovo, I lunged for him.
Agony sliced me in half and I collapsed to the floor as my broken leg gave out.
Helion looked me right in the eye. “It had to be done.”
“No! There was another way. You didn’t have to do this!” I sobbed, my heart shattered into a million pieces.
He turned away from me and nodded at someone guarding the door I’d never been able to reach. The entrance appeared, as did two large Atlans dragging Max between them. They’d caught him in the same kind of net they’d used on Kovo.
My scream was primal rage. I pushed past the physical pain. Fear. I had Elite Hunter blood in my veins. A broken leg would not stop me, not when Helion was so fucking close.
I rose, standing on the broken leg. The pain only fueled my rage. “I’m going to kill you.”
Helion sighed as if I were a bothersome child and gave a slight nod to someone I could not see.
Huge, powerful arms wrapped around me from behind. Whoever had ahold of me picked me up and carried me like I weighed no more than a stuffed animal. “Medical, sir?” The voice behind me asked.
“Yes. Get them both to medical.” He pointed at Max as he spoke. “And make sure she gets that leg treated.”
“Yes, sir.”
I kicked. I cried. I screamed. I scratched the warlord’s arms. If I’d had a way to reach him, I would have sunk my teeth into him as well.
Nothing worked. He carried me away. Away from Kovo. Away from Helion. Away from my dead mate.”
12
Adrian
The warlord carried me to their medical treatment room. The place wasn’t large, but reminded me of the hospital morgues I saw on T.V. shows. All metal, cold and sterile.
The doctor who walked toward me with one of those glowing magic wands was not Helion, thank god. I’m pretty sure I would have tried to find something in here to stab him.
Did they still use scalpels in space?
Or knives?
Hell, I’d take a nice metal hanger at this point.
“Hello.” The doctor’s voice was soothing and calm. And female. Which let me breathe a bit easier. I was done with men right now. Males. Of every species.
