“Rebecca, be calm. Atlans are very good fighters. I doubt there is an army on this planet that could defeat those warlords.” I reached over and placed my hand on her bouncing knee. The movement stopped at once. Thank the gods. She was going to makemenervous with her explosion of energy.
I wanted to be inside the building. I wanted to be out there, hunting the Siren scum who had nearly killed my mate.
Even more, I needed to be next to her, keeping her safe.
“Okay.” She leaned back into the seat and closed her eyes. “Okay. But I can’t watch this screen. I just can’t.” She rose from her seat and moved toward the now empty corridor. “I’ll go get Lilah some food.” She glanced down at her pet, love shining in her eyes as she leaned low and rested her forehead against the dog’s. “You’re probably thirsty, too. Aren’t you girl?”
Lilah panted happily and followed my mate into the corridor. Moments later I heard Rebecca cooing to that dog. Praise. Affection. Sweetness. Love words.
Fuck me. I was jealous of a dog.Again.
Irritated at myself for the thought, I returned my attention to the scanners tracking the AI’s frequency bursts. I turned on the comms, listening to the Atlans talk to one another as they moved through the building. Found the safe. Opened it.
They had it. The AI Engram was in their possession. There was no possible way for Rokor or his accomplice to leave this planet without it. Their ship would be useless.
Excellent. I would take Rebecca back to Warden Egara, where I knew she would be safely guarded by a complex full of Atlan warlords and Prillion warriors, ensure her comfort and finally resume my hunt.
“Lilah!” Rebecca’s scream hadn’t fully registered before I was out of my seat, moving toward the sound.
The dog lay in a heap in the corridor, an ion blast in her side. She was breathing, but she was badly wounded.
I was to the ramp, registering Rebecca’s protests.
“Stop it! Put me down. Asshole!”
There was no response. There didn’t need to be. I knew who had her.
“Rokor! Let her go!”
“Come and get her, Hunter.” Cruel laughter followed the challenge, then a whimper of pain.
“No!” Rebecca screamed but I did not hear fear in her voice. I heard rage.
My brave, reckless mate. Did she not realize her life was in danger? That Rokor would as soon cut her throat as listen to her cries?
I stepped into view at the top of the ship’s ramp. As expected, Rokor was staring up at me, an evil snarl on his face. He held Rebecca by her neck, nearly dangling her in the air. Only the tips of her toes touched the ground. Even that was a relief. Rokor was from Rogue 5, a Hyperion hybrid. He could rip out her throat with a flick of his wrist…or one bite from his fangs.
“What do you want, Rokor?”
“I want my AI engram.”
“I don’t have it.”
“Lies.” He shook Rebecca enough to make her feet swing in mid-air. Her fingers were curled around his grip like claws. “Come now, Hunter. Stop hiding in your ship. We picked up the AI’s frequency coming from here. Give me what I want, and I’ll give you what you want.”
“Stark! No! There are two more. It’s a trap!”
Of course it was a trap. It was always a trap. “Where is your friend, Rokor? Or did you kill him, too?”
“He was useless.”
“And you didn’t want to share.” There were too many humans on this planet Rokor could sell his drugs to. Weak. Small. Rokor could have been a king on Earth. A god.
I’d been sent by the Coalition to bring him to justice. I would have done my job. But now he’d dared touch my mate. Hurt her. Nearly killed her.
For that alone he would die.
I was an Elite Hunter. Rebecca had never seen me track my prey. Never seen me kill. I had no desire to show her that side of myself, but I had no choice.
