Warlord Kai nodded his head in Tazo’s direction, not at all perturbed by nearly having his head smashed in just a few minutes ago in their fight. “He believes you are his mate, Larkspur Linton of Earth.”
Larkspur.He called me Larkspur. Suddenly, everything made more sense. The Hive back in my apartment had it all wrong. These guys had it all wrong. “I’ve been trying to tell you, I’mLavender.Larkspur is my older sister. We’re only a year apart and we look a lot alike. God! You guys need to listen. Larkspur. Lavender. Okay? My mom’s name was Lily and she had a thing for flowers. You’ve got the wrong girl. I don’t take pictures. I’m a vet tech. I work with animals.”
“You smell like Larkspur.” Kai seemed confused.
I smelled like her? What were these guys? Dogs? Guess he could have confused us. Iwaswearing my sister’s nightie. “We live together in that shitty little apartment. I borrowed her nightie. I didn’t have any clean clothes, so I raided her closet. We share clothes all the time.”
His expression changed instantly and his beast came back out in the blink of an eye. Holy crap.
“Where? Larkspur?” Kai demanded in what I was beginning to think of as beast-speak. He might was well have said, ‘Hulk smash.’
At last, they were finally listening to me. My sister was in danger. Serious trouble, if those Hive were after her. “She works nights at the same vet clinic I do. That’s why I asked what time it is on Earth. She’s going to go home and see all the blood. She’s going to freak. And what about the new ones? The Hive things that got there right before you zapped me into outer space? What if they’re still in our apartment? What if they go look for her at work? I don’t know you people. I’m sure your beasts will try to find her, but what if they can’t? What if she doesn’t go straight home after work? What if she goes to the store or something? Will the Hive guys try to kill her in public?”
“They have no regard for human rules, nor do they fear being seen.” Doctor Surnen’s tone was bleak and a shiver of dread raced over my skin.
I had to get to her. Warn her. “There are too many things that can go wrong. I need to go home.”
“Where?” Kai’s big ‘ol beast demanded. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was angry with me. I knew the truth though, he was angry with himself for mistaking me for my sister.
Warlord Tazo scowled at Kai’s tone and rose to his feet. This time he placed his body between me and Kai, protecting me from the Atlan who originally saved my life and brought me here in the first place. So confusing. Didn’t mean I didn’t admire Tazo’s broad back, tight ass, rock hard thighs. He was a living, breathing work of art. But I didn’t need protection, I needed to help my sister.
“It’s a twenty-four-hour emergency vet clinic. Sometimes she comes straight home. Sometimes she stops for breakfast first. There’s this waffle place she likes that?—.”
“WHERE IS SHE?!” Kai’s roar would have rattled fine china.Finally,some urgency to get out of here and go help her.
About damn time. “Riverside Emergency Vet. It’s downtown, northeast eleventh street. Waffle place is two blocks south. If she’s not at either place, she’ll be riding her bike.”
“A bicycle?” He sounded mortified, like I’d just told him my sister ate razor blades for breakfast. Kai turned away and marched toward the door. “Send the coordinates to transport.”
“No! Wait!” Was he leaving without me? I needed clothes. Shoes. Oh, screw it. I transported here in this stupid nightie, I could go back to Earth wearing it and change when I got there. “I’m going with you!”
I rushed around Tazo’s frame but he scooped me up and tossed me over his shoulder.
“Mine.”
How dare he? “Put me down! I have to go save my sister.”
Tazo carried me over to Kai and held me in place as he spoke. “Sister. Mate?”
“Yes.”
He grunted like a caveman, ignoring my struggles. “Go. I protect Lavender.”
I kicked and punched his back. He was just too damn big. Too strong. I had wanted to touch him, but now that I could, I was too mad to enjoy it. “Put. Me. Down! You overgrown animal!”
“Not safe. You stay. Mate.”
He walked out of the medical area and I watched as Warlord Kai and the others entered the corridor behind us and headed the opposite direction. They were leaving without me! I had to help Larkspur! Sure, Kai was an Atlan and could crush the Hive with his bare hands, but he didn’t know my sister. Where she liked to go. What she liked to do. Did he even have her cell number?
“Put me down! I have to go home. I have to help my sister.” I pounded on his back until my arms ached from the effort.
“No. Kai will protect. Sister his mate.”
“No. She needs me.”
“You. Are. Mine.” He had one arm locked around my thighs, holding me in place. The other he lifted to rub my bottom through the blanket, his touch not at all shy or unsure. “Hush. Safe. Kai protect sister.”
No. No I wasnotsafe. My heart raced out of control. I wanted to curl into his arms and strangle him at the same time. My body, however, did not suffer the same internal battle. My breasts were heavy. My nipples tight, sensitive peaks rubbing against his back. The hand he had on my ass made me want to moan and throw aside the blanket to give him better access. His very male scent filled my head and made my core achy and wet.
