I didn’t want to see the charred remains of what had once been a proud, honorable Warlord. But I needed to know it was over, the Ethan’s brother was avenged. That I’d taken care of my mate.
We made our way back to inspect the damage, Kovo glaring at Ethan anytime my mate reached for me.
We gathered around a heap of smoking ash and metal. The cyborg had died the hard way. Smoke curled up from where its throat used to be. Its limbs were still twitching. The Atlan male—all the living, organic parts of him—were gone, but the cyborg integrations were still trying to function.
I bent down and quickly took a DNA sample; sure he had family back on Atlan who were wondering what had happened to him. Were missing him. Worried.
They deserved the truth.
The wail of human firetrucks and police sirens sang through the night air like phantoms on their way to us.
“We’re done here.” Bahre checked a setting on a wrist monitor. “We need to leave. This whole place is going to blow in a few minutes.”
In that moment I remembered that Warlord Bahre once worked for Commander Helion and the I.C. as well. He knew what Helion’s orders would be. No trace. No evidence. Nothing for the human engineers to reverse engineer. “Let’s go.”
Krag led the way. Rohn kept an eye on Ethan as Kovo moved alongside me. Warlord Bahre guarded our backs as we jogged back to the waiting van. A human I didn’t recognize gave a slight nod to Bahre and started the engine, pulling away before we even had the doors completely closed.
I breathed a sigh of relief as the thunder of a large explosion sounded outside. Then another. Several loudboomsrocked the industrial park as Krag watched the monitors mounted to one wall. The teams’ drones circled above the site and ran multiple scans. No life forms. No energy signatures. Nothing for the humans to use. Nothing but ash.
He entered a command to call back the drones. They settled on top of the van with distinct clicks. Our driver got us out of there as we all sat in silence.
Ethan sat across from me—where Rohn had basically dumped him. I sat facing him, unsure of what to do, one hand wrapped around my aching ribs. All the males removed their helmets. I did not.
Ethan noticed. Of course he did. He seemed to be watching every little thing I did. His gaze darted from my face to the hand clutching my ribs over and over, his frown deepening.
The moment we pulled into the garage at Bahre’s compound, Ethan was on his feet, pulling me toward him. “You’re going back in the ReGen pod.”
I shook my head. “I can wait. I’m sure someone else?—”
“No. You’re first.” He glanced around the van, daring any of the other males to argue with him. None did. “You’re first, Lyra. Jenkins was taken to another pod. No one here is dying. They can wait. You’re in pain.”
I was, and it was getting worse. Or better, depending on how I looked at it. Did feeling light-headed and numb count as better?
Without waiting for my agreement, Ethan lifted me in his arms. Kovo growled and tried to take me from him.
“Fuck off. She’s mine.” There was death in Ethan’s tone. A warning from one male to another not to touch his mate. My beast was thrilled.
I nearly laughed at the scowl on my brother’s face. Would have if I hadn’t known how badly it would hurt.
Ethan carried me out of the van and through the house, right back to the room I’d woken up in not that long ago. Gently, like I might shatter at any moment, he set me on my feet and reached for the locks that would remove my helmet.
I grabbed his hands to stop him. “Don’t.”
Ethan wrapped his hands around mine and stared up into my beast’s eyes, seeing me through my last line of defense, the helmet’s translucent face shield. “Listen to me. You’re mine. I don’t care what planet you’re from. I don’t care if you grew a tail and turned purple.”
“But—” What about blue-ish stripes and claws that could cut through steel?
“Shhh.” He loosened the locks and I let him, hope lighting up my heart like a shot from an ion rifle.
He peeled my armor from my body, as careful as he could be around my injuries, which were a lot worse than I’d let on. My armor knew. When that cyborg threw me, he’d done more than break a few ribs. I was bleeding internally. If not for the strength of my beast, I’d already be unconscious.
She refused to relent, needed to see his reaction. Needed to know if he would accept our claim or break our heart.
I swayed on my feet as he undressed me. Armor. The soft layer of dense fabric beneath it that protected my skin. Boots.
He didn’t stop until I was naked.
“You’re beautiful.” His tone was impossible to resist because she wanted him to see. She needed him to see. My beast was not afraid like I was. She knew she was beautiful and she wanted to show off her strength, her claws, her power to her mate. Wanted to be admired. Chosen. Worthy.
