I let him lead me off the veranda, down a set of stairs away from the house, and into the shadowed grounds. I had to take two steps for each of Xokat’s long strides, but his strong grip on my arm left me no choice.
“Where are we going?” I asked, my breath sawing in and out of my lungs as I struggled to keep up.
“Quiet!” he snapped.
I flinched away at his tone. No one had spoken like that to me since I’d arrived in Bion 8KV. Other than the unpleasant woman at the gala, no one had been rude to me at all, let alone barked at me like Xokat had just done.
“Excuse me?” I huffed, wrenching my arm from his grip. “I’m doing the best I can in these shoes, okay? And I’m not exactly being loud. The least you can do is tell me where we’re go—” My words cut off with a gasp as Xokat slapped something on my arm, and a heartbeat later, all the strength was zapped right out of my body, my vision going black.
CHAPTER 39
YIRI
It only tookone word from Nerus to know something was wrong. Bad wrong. Somebody was going to die wrong.
“Boss.”
I didn’t stop to excuse myself from the discussion I’d been having with Eissoi’s Premier. Leaving the male droning on mid-sentence about the state of tourism this year, I followed Nerus through the crowd, heading toward the veranda.
“Zoddi’s down,” he said quietly. “Found him out here behind a potted plant.”
My veins filled with ice. “Where’s Cora?”
“Don’t know,” Nerus said.
“Where the fuck is Xokat?” I demanded as we reached Zoddi’s crumpled form. I stooped to check his pulse. Finding it strong, I put the male out of my mind. He’d be fine, but until he came around, he’d be no use to me.
“Unaccounted for,” Nerus said grimly. “Already got someone checking security recs for what happened.”
“I saw her come out here,” I said. “They were both right behind her.”
Nerus nodded. “Other than Zoddi, there’s no sign of a struggle. I’ve got soldiers already searching the grounds.”
“I need her foundnow.”
“I know,” he said, grimly, his frame out, our soldiers already reporting in from all corners of Zacal’s estate.
“Bruukto?”
“We have eyes on him,” Nerus answered.
“He doesn’t leave,” I said. “I want him confined.”
“Zacal won’t like it.”
“Fuck Zacal. Confine him too if he interferes.”
“Boss.”
I rounded on my second, my closest friend. “Who do you work for?” I demanded. “Decide now. MyIbarchosen mate is missing. Anyone standing between me and her will die. If you have a problem with that, get the fuck out of my way, because you are not the exception.”
Nerus nodded. “Understood.”
Twenty minutes later, I still didn’t have my mate back. All I had were deleted recs on all the outside cameras for the past hour, a fuming uncle, an army of nervous, harried soldiers in constant motion, and one smug rival boss watching us all swarm the compound. Bruukto said he had nothing to do with Cora’s disappearance, but my trust in him was only marginally stronger than my trust in his treacherous, murdering daughter.
“Incoming,” Nerus muttered, bringing my pacing to an abrupt halt.
Speaking of the hateful ga’ad.
