The guard looked human, more human than the warlords did, but there was something about him that made my spidey-senses tingle. We’d found out, when Adrian tracked down Kovo before she even saw him, that we had a bit of Everian Hunter blood in our family line somewhere. As soon as I thought it, I knew. Yep. This guy was from Everis.
He sniffed the air—smelling for Velik?—before nodding. “Follow me.”
The guard took off at a dead run and, yes. Totally from Everis. He ran as fast as my car could maneuver through the parking lot to follow him. Somehow, I knew that if he needed to, he could move even faster.
He led me to a set of large sliding doors along the back of one of the sprawling complex’s buildings. I parked and hit the button to lift the hatch. A group of large aliens ran outside before I even got out of the car.
Watching them lift Velik like he weighed no more than a child was…disconcerting. They were all big. Strong. A couple Prillon warriors, the Everian who had led me inside, and a beast that looked like he wanted to kill something.
He probably did.
The Everian Hunter returned to me as the others disappeared inside with Velik. I moved forward to follow but the guard blocked my path. “Apologies, my lady, but we will need some information before you may enter.”
I wanted to slap him and stomp past him, but I wouldn’t get even one step past this guy. “Fine. But talk fast. I need to get in there.” To Velik. My mate. I needed to be with him when the doctor or their scanner or whatever they had figured out what was wrong with him.
“Who are you?”
“Stefani Davis.”
“Human.”
“Yes.”
“You live in Miami?”
“Yes.”
“How was Velik injured?”
“I don’t know. He just passed out.”
“How did you know to bring him here?”
Really? I stopped watching the doors my mate had disappeared behind and stared into the intense eyes of the very polite—asshole—who was in my way. I could barely focus over my hand-twisting anxiety. He’d just outrun my car and wasn’t even breathing hard. Jerk.
“Look, Hunter man. My name is Stefani Davis. My mother is Vivian Davis, mate of Warlord Maxus. My sister is Adrian Davis, mate to Warlord Kovo. I have been to Atlan, more than once, and I know a beast when I see one. He seemed perfectly fine—” More than fine, actually, but I didn’t want to discuss my sex life with this alien. “He was fine. And then, he just stopped moving. Stopped talking. I have no idea what happened to him. I need to get in there so I can find out.”
“How did someone of your…petite stature get the warlord into your car?”
I was going to slap him. “With difficulty. Now get out of my way.”
“Elite Hunter Rowan, thank you. I will take it from here.” A woman’s voice carried across the open area and I turned to see Warden Egara walking toward us. Thank god. Someone reasonable. “Stefani, what a surprise. I hadn’t expected to see you again so soon.”
Warden Egara walked to stand between me and Elite Hunter Rowan.
Called it.
He bowed slightly to Warden Egara and then to me. “Ladies, it has been an honor.” Then he was…gone. Like, vampire movie, superhero gone. Poofed into thin air. I gasped.
The warden laughed. “They are fast, aren’t they?”
“Holy shit.”
My response made her laugh harder. She wrapped her hand around my arm and gently led me toward the entry doors. “Now, tell me what has happened. Are you well?” She looked me over from head to toe and I realized I was still in beach wear. Hot pink bikini with tiny skirt covering a barely-there G-string bottom. The white cotton button-up I’d worn over it had lost most of the buttons when Velik—yeah. Anyway, it didn’t button anymore. And I’d spent the entire afternoon with my hair blowing in the wind on the bow of a sailboat…or gone wild in the back of my car like a horny teenager.
I was a mess. No wonder Rowan had looked at me like I was suspect.
“What happened to Velik?”
