An hour later I was standing outside on the front step, showered, dressed and waiting, when Adrian’s and Kovo’s rental car pulled up. Adrian jumped out and ran into my arms.
“Twin,” she said.
“God, I missed you.” I hugged her tightly. My sister was here, which generally meant I could fall apart if I wanted to.
I did, but I was so tired of crying and second-guessing everything I said or did. I was wrung out.
Somehow, she knew, because she squeezed me until I couldn’t breathe. Kovo parked their car and walked over. Rather than start babbling, like she usually did, Adrian stared at me with an awkward look on her face. Kovo wouldn’t look at me at all.
What the hell? “Okay. What’s with the weird looks?” I looked from one to the other. “And why are you here?” Not that I wasn’t thrilled to see them, but they usually called. It wasn’t like Miami was next door and they were popping over to borrow an egg.
Velik
“You sure about this?” Helion himself sat across from me in the small shuttle. I didn’t know he cared, but I appreciated his effort.
“Yes. She has chosen a human male. He is worthy of her. I will not interfere.” Henry would take care of her. I repeated the thought over and over, so my beast couldn’t argue.
“So be it. Gods protect you, warlord.”
We waited in silence as the shuttle moved over the planet’s surface. Uninhabited by any kind of civilization, the planet was home to a variety of large predatory creatures. They had no detectable language, but they were twice my height and covered in thick, nearly impenetrable scales. They formed family units, worked in groups and were evolving at their own pace.
They weren’t like us, but they lived their life. Clearly intelligent, they attacked anything and everything that touched down on the surface.
The Coalition left them alone.
The Hive, however, had discovered a creature capable of taking down a fully armored beast, and set up a base complete with a high level Integration Unit to oversee the transformation of the creatures as quickly as possible.
The first one sent into battle had wiped out an entire unit of Prillon warriors. And their ship. Tore through the hull with its claws, shredded an armored troop transport like it was paper.
And that had been one of the males. The females were bigger, stronger, and meaner. Especially when protecting their young.
I had a feeling my Stefani would appreciate their ferocity.
“We’re here, commander.” The pilot’s voice came over the comm. “Dropping for deployment.”
That meant me. I was loaded with weapons and explosives. No food. Didn’t plan on living long enough to get hungry. Wreak havoc, destroy the Hive base, and die with honor.
Helion took one last look at me and sighed. “I fucking hate this. I’m sorry, Velik.”
I couldn’t help it, I laughed.
“Opening the drop door. Gods protect you, warlord.” The pilot’s words drew me to my feet.
Helion held out my armored helmet. I looked at it, then shook my head. The air was tolerable. I didn’t need it. And I sure as fuck didn’t want to talk to anyone once I jumped out of this shuttle.
I walked to the drop door and leaped without looking back. It wasn’t me, but my beast who landed in a crouch. His pain was a living, breathing thing.
The shuttle glided away as quietly as it had come. Helion stood, his outline visible, until the craft flew out of sight.
Mate. The beast’s one word was both protest and question.
We are not worthy.
For the first time in a very long while, he didn’t argue. Memories shuffled through my mind in quick review. The beast cataloguing his failures. To break free of the serum. To recognize our female when she needed us. To protect her when she suffered, pregnant and alone. He reached the same conclusion.
We are not.
16
