"The shuttle is on the south end of the island," he murmured, his breath warm against my ear. "Stay behind me."
"What about the others?" I protested, my voice rising slightly.
"Harper." He stopped abruptly, turning to face me, his hands gripping my shoulders. "I promise you, we will get them out. All of them. But I have to get you to safety first. I cannot lose you again."
The raw emotion in his voice made my throat tighten until I could barely swallow. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I couldn't lose him again either.
We moved swiftly through a side hallway, our footsteps muffled against the polished floor as we avoided the main areas where the commotion seemed to rage loudest. My heart hammered against my ribs with each step, adrenaline singing through my veins. Xabat paused at every corner, his entire body going still as he listened with preternatural focus, muscles coiled and ready to spring into action at the slightest threat. When we finally reached a door leading outside, he took a long moment to scope the area beyond, his sharp eyes scanning the darkness before he finally stepped aside and let me slip past him into the night.
The cool air hit my face, fresh and clean and tasted of salt and freedom.
Then I saw him.
Declan stood in the middle of the manicured lawn like he'd been waiting for us, flanked by at least a half dozen hairless cat aliens, and just as many human soldiers, their weapons gleaming dully in the darkness. And Declan was smiling—that cold, smug, predatory smile that made my skin crawl and made me want to slap the ever-loving shit out of him.
"Going somewhere?"
Chapter 17
Xabat
In all my years as a warrior, I'd never wanted to kill anyone as much as I wanted to kill the male standing before me.
He was tall as far as humans went, but his slender frame suggested he'd never done a day's worth of labor in his life. His pale fingers were unmarred by calluses, his posture that of someone who commanded others to do his bidding. His pale blue eyes narrowed into cold slits, disdain staining his features, as though he considered interacting with us beneath his station.
I wondered if he'd feel that way when my blade sliced into his throat.
Beside me, Harper growled. A faint sound, barely more than a rumble in her throat, not threatening in the least, but the fact she made the sound at all made my chest swell with pride.
My hand tightened around Harper's, pulling her closer to my side as I lifted my blade. The weight was familiar and comforting. I could defeat a dozen warriors without question, but it would be bloody.
"Oh, how noble," Declan drawled, his lips curling into a sneer that revealed teeth too white, too perfect. "A Kaelaks playing hero. Tell me, how does it feel to waste your time on a lost cause?"
My jaw clenched, muscles jumping beneath my skin, mostly to hide my surprise that the human male recognized my species. "Harper deserves freedom—all humans do."
"Freedom?" He laughed, the sound sharp and grating against my ears. "You and your Vaktaire friends, the Aljani—all of you running around the galaxy, thinking you can save them. It's pathetic, really. Humans are a lost cause. We chose them for a reason."
"You chose them because you are a coward who preys on the weak," I snarled, a lightbulb going on in my head, pieces clicking into place. "You're part of the Consortium, aren't you?"
His laugh only grew louder, echoing across the clearing with genuine amusement. "I am not part of it. Iamthe Consortium, and soon, I will control the Alliance, just as I control Earth."
"You don't control shit!" Harper barked from my side, her voice raw with defiance.
The man's expression softened at the sound of her voice. Not with affection, but rather, he looked as though he regarded her like an imbecilic youngling. "Oh, my sweet, beautiful Harper, you have no idea how the world actually works, do you?"
"I know you're an asshole, Declan," she spat back, her voice dripping with venom.
Declan's face twisted into something ugly, his aristocratic features contorting with displeasure. "You do have a rebellious streak." He paused, letting the words hang in the air like a threat, then shrugged and gestured to the Trogvyk at his side. "No matter. My friends here have ways of training you to be obedient."
I pulled Harper behind me, positioning my body as a shield between her and the threat. "You will not touch my mate."
"Mate?" Declan threw his head back and laughed, a hateful sound that echoed across the clearing. "Kill him and bring me the woman."
"Run," I hissed to Harper through clenched teeth, every muscle in my body coiling as I set myself for battle.
Yet the two largest Trogvyk flanking Declan didn't prepare for attack. They didn't even move, save for the shimmer of air undulating around their forms, leaving Rickon and Cristox standing in their wake.
"Run. Hide." I turned back to catch Harper's expression, not twisted with fear as I'd expected, but set with fierce determination, her jaw tight and blue eyes blazing.
