Our female wanted that blond human, Henry, to be her mate. So be it. We honored her choice. We made the sacrifice to ensure her happiness. Still fucking hurt like she’d ripped our heart out and thrown it down that ravine for the scavengers to devour.
Fuck Henry.
I agreed with my beast, but the decision wasn’t ours. It was hers. Our mate.
Mate. Mine! Not worthy. The beast howled in despair inside my mind. I couldn’t stop him. He was going to drive me over the edge. Not acceptable. I kept reminding him we couldn’t die until the mission was complete. We had to defeat the three female creatures, kill the Hive Integration Unit—their version of a doctor—and destroy their base of operations so they would never attempt to integrate these creatures again. Protecting the Coalition Fleet and all the fighters meant protecting her.
Then we could end our misery.
“Almost, my friend. Almost.” Was I trying to reassure the beast, or myself?
I held a ReCon team’s newest scanner to my eyes and reviewed the data as it scrolled across the small, built-in screen. Distance to the base. Size and estimated weight of each female, as well as the type of weapon they carried.
Not that the creatures needed any help. They already had hides thicker than battle armor and those fucking claws. Maybe the Hive armed them with technology out of habit.
The males I’d taken out had come at me claws first, as if their ion blasters were a mere afterthought.
Maybe. Or maybe they just enjoyed ripping and tearing flesh.
My beast snorted, clearly suspecting the latter.
Sliding down, so I would be out-of-sight on the ridge, as well as downwind of the creatures, I took final stock of my gear.
Power cells on the ion rifle were shot. As were the two spares I’d brought with me. In fact, I’d used up everything I had but the blades strapped to my thighs and a handful of small explosive devices. I’d planned on using them to destroy the base, but that wouldn’t be possible if I couldn’t get inside to set the charges.
I had to get past those guards.
Death trap.
The beast wasn’t afraid of death, or the creatures, but he wasn’t stupid either. If we charged over the ridge and tried to fight them, we would lose. Head cut from our body and eaten for an afternoon snack, kind of lose.
I wondered what my daughters were doing today. Eating the smashed bananas they loved? Playing with their soft toys? Napping? My heart ached as I pictured their beautiful, adoring smiles the last and final time I sang to them.
Not worthy.
“Shut the fuck up. I know.” Did Henry sing to them?
Did Stefani sing? How could I not know this about her?
You left. Let them kill me.
“I didn’t fucking let them do anything. I was unconscious.”
Weak. Not worthy.
“FUCK!” No wonder warlords who were not accepted by their mates didn’t live long. And not just because of mating fever. But because, “Their fucking beast won’t shut up.”
I looked at the explosives.
I’d just have to blow the female creatures into pieces and figure out how to destroy the base after. If I had to sit here and listen to the beast’s whining for another minute, I was going to lose my mind.
Weak, Not—
“Fuck you.” It was stupid, I knew it, but it was time. I hit the transmit button on my armor. My entire battle log and all the data I’d collected about the life forms on this planet would be uploaded to the Coalition Fleet’s system before I was halfway to the three females.
Seemed fitting a fucking female would kill me, as I’d treated one of their own so poorly.
I forced my body into rhythm. Running. Planning as I went. When the first creature was in sight, I sprinted toward her. She swung her long arms, her reach the length of my entire body when one included the claws—at me with the intention of cutting me in half.
