He was wrong.
“Put him down, Velik. He didn’t know.”
“Bullshit.” I answered him. My beast had relented, allowing me to remove our hand from the doctor’s neck. More ReGen time for the doctor. Not that I cared. The beast snorted in agreement. “The female. She said she was mine.” I glared at Helion. “You walked me in front of her and allowed me to hurt her? Disavow her? Leave her unprotected?”
“By the time I knew the female existed, we had already administered the serum. It could not be undone. I needed to know the treatment truly worked. Facing a female your beast had claimed as his mate was the ultimate test. The toxins in your brain had erased your memories of her. Without your beast, you would not have taken her as your mate, not for two years, at least. Two years that we needed you fighting in the war.” Helion explained their rationale while Mersan shrugged as if it was all…analytical. Data and probabilities.
It was true, I barely remembered meeting her, even now. My beast, however, had no trouble at all. He shoved an image of her into my mind with a howl of rage.
This. This was what he’d been mourning. Grieving. Needing.
She was beautiful. Long dark hair. Gold-green eyes. She was young, but knew what I was, where I was from. She’d been…perfect. There had been a boat with sails. Her vehicle…
My cock hardened for the first time in over a year. The sweet scent of her pussy filled my mind. Her skin. Her hands in my hair as I’d...
Fuck. I’d claimed her. Fucked her. Promised her she would be mine forever.
And then I’d stared at her like a fool, told her I had no idea who she was, and walked away.
“Where is she? Who is protecting her in my absence?”
Helion shrugged. “Not my department. I do not meddle in human affairs.”
“What did you tell her?”
“Nothing. She was not yours. No mating cuffs. No claim. You said so yourself. You didn’t know who she was.”
“Fuck you.”
“For what it’s worth, Velik, I am truly sorry. I would not have given you the serum had I known you’d found your mate. By the time I knew about her, it was too late. I would have tested it on someone else.”
“Lies, Helion. Always more fucking lies. Your words mean nothing.”
Turning on my heel, I walked toward the sliding door. The unused injector lay where it had rolled to a halt on the floor next to Doctor Mersan. Slowly, deliberately, I crushed the fucking thing under my boot. When there was nothing but cracked pieces grinding under my heel, I headed for the transport room. I was going to Earth, to find her. Protect her. Claim her. Keep her forever, despite the fact I couldn’t remember her name.
My beast—thank the fucking gods he seemed to be alive and well—agreed.
Mine.
9
Stefani, Pacific Palisades, California
* * *
Two little yellow hats. Two little swimsuits covered in a daisy pattern. Two of the cutest babies ever to exist on this world or any other.
“Stop making goo-goo eyes at my girls and get them in the car. I want to get there before they eat all the cake.” Carmen, my housemate and best friend in the universe, put a bottle of ultra-protection, baby and coral-reef-safe, sunscreen into her bag. In the hall behind her, Henry wrestled with the umbrella-like beach canopy we would stake down in the sand once the obligatory mingling and chatting had been handled.
“Stefani! The babies are going to be late to their own party!” Carmen’s voice echoed from an open door that led into the garage.
“Coming!” I finished buckling Terra into her car seat as Alena kicked and squirmed in hers. I picked both carriers up by the bulky handles, and hauled them out to the large SUV—aka the “mom-mobile”. When we weren’t together, Carmen drove a bright red convertible that made her look like a goddess with her tawny skin, wild sense of style, and penchant for wearing a lot—a lot, lot—of large jewelry. She had more bling than the queen of freaking England and no inhibitions about showing it—or her gorgeous curves—to the world.
And Henry? He had developed a love for motorcycles, aviator sunglasses and tight leather. With his tall, lean build, sandy blond hair and dimpled grin, all he had to do was come to a stop and single women flocked to him like bees to honey. He was one of the most decent, caring, honorable men I’d ever met in my life. I didn’t tell his dates any of that. Up to him. If he wanted to act the bad-boy part, more power to him. He was damn good at it.
Henry tossed the rest of our stuff in the back and climbed into the passenger seat as Carmen started the engine. I sat in the back, in the middle, sandwiched between two hard plastic car seat bases. I didn’t mind. I had a bundle of pure love on either side of me.
Pop song on the radio, I hummed along, content to sit still for five minutes.
