“I do not believe that for one minute.” Warden Egara placed her hands on her hips. Her scowl would have scared her Prillon mates, if she still had them. The tragedy of their deaths was often whispered about in the I.C..
“Warlord Velik, I have a young woman here who claims she is your mate.”
“I have no mate.” My beast barely stirred. He agreed.
“And your beast? What does he say? I want to talk to him.”
Pushy female. The beast was nearly as annoyed as I, but he responded, rising to the surface and partially transforming my face. “Warden.”
“Beast. Do you confirm this? Do you not have a mate?”
“No. No mate.” He shrank back inside me and the warden watched him go, her gray eyes suddenly cloudy with emotion. Females did not make sense. This did not concern her. She was not my mate. Why was she so upset? She looked at the doctor.
“And he is one hundred percent healed? His beast is fully functional? His body healed?”
“Yes. He needs a few more hours in the ReGen pod to heal the remainder of his peripheral nerve damage, but that is all. He is battle ready.”
“Shit.”
Why was she cursing me?
“As the warden in charge of this brides’ testing facility, I require further proof.” She glared at Doctor Mersan, then turned those gray eyes back to me. “You will put some clothing on, Warlord. Then you will report to my office. Do you understand?”
“Of course.” I bowed my head respectfully. I would never show disrespect to a female, any female. Especially not one who had seen to the happiness of so many of my fellow Coalition fighters.
Warden Egara turned on her heel and left the room. Once gone, the doctor grabbed me by the wrist and held on tightly. “Do not lie to me, Warlord. Is this female your mate?”
That was enough of this bullshit. Between one heartbeat and the next, my beast grabbed the Prillon by the neck and lifted him until his toes dangled off the ground. “Think I lie?” The deep rumbling voice seemed to assure the doctor somehow.
His shoulders slumped and I saw the first glimmer of fire in his eyes. “No. Had to be sure.”
The beast set the Prillon warrior back on his feet. “Armor.” We were going to war and no fucking way were we going to transport naked.
“Follow me, Warlord. Follow me.”
Stefani
* * *
I heard his voice before I saw him. Standing up, I smoothed out the wrinkles of my blue jeans the best I could. Did I look my best? No.
Would my mate care? Hell no. He was a beast. I could probably be covered head to toe in slime and mud and he would still want to—
Oh. My. God.
A monster wearing Velik’s face walked into the room. I’d never seen him with clothes on. I nearly laughed at myself over my jittery, nervous reaction. He was fierce, covered head to toe in black and gray Coalition armor. He had weapons strapped all over his body, so many I didn’t bother trying to count. His weight caused his boots to hit the floor with a thud only a beast could make.
He was intimidating as hell. Still gorgeous. I inspected his face as he approached me, making sure he didn’t have anything visibly wrong with him. I wasn’t expecting him to look injured. The ReGen pods worked miracles. I knew that. But I’d brought them the jellyfish and spent the next two days literally sick with worry. Worse, the stupid alien doctor hadn’t let me see him. Velik had been unconscious inside the pod anyway, so I’d obeyed the doctor’s wishes and not argued.
Now, I wish I had.
Velik walked directly to me and stopped three paces away. He faced me, but there was nothing in his eyes I recognized. No heat. No despair or pain. No need. Nothing.
“Velik?”
“My lady.” His voice was the right voice. But…
“How are you? I was worried.”
