Both of the soldiers lifted their weapons to point at her.
“You shoot me, they shoot you, and I’ll heal quickly,” Wallace said, unconcerned.
“I aim for the brain.” She set her stance. “You may recover, but it’ll take a while.”
His smile widened. “I am thinking maybe I shouldn’t save you for my brother.” His gaze wandered over her form and back up to her face. “You know we have vials of the virus 27 in our coffers, don’t you?”
She cocked her head. The virus supposedly negated the mating bond, but as far as she knew, it had only been used on mates who’d lost their loves years and years ago. “I was not aware of that fact.”
“Yes. We’ve learned how to synthesize it, as well.”
He still hadn’t lost his smile, and she fought the very real urge to shoot him in the face.
“Have you used it on anybody?”
“Not yet. I figured you’d be the first.” His eyes gleamed.
She blinked rain out of her eyes. “I’m mated. The virus doesn’t work if one’s mate is still living.”
His eyes swirled with darkness through the purple. “We’ll just see about that, won’t we? Now, how about you get into the plane?”
“How about you let the women go?”
“It looks like we’re at a stalemate,” he spat. “Shoot her in the leg,” he ordered.
The soldier to his right lowered his weapon. Just then, twin pings echoed from the forest, and green lasers arced through the stormy day, hitting both soldiers in the chest. They flew backward and crashed to the muddy earth, sending up splotches and creating craters from their shockingly heavy bodies.
Jasper and Dax ran out of the forest, firing rapidly. Wallace dove to the ground and rolled, knocking Leah off her feet. She screamed and tried to shoot him, but he casually batted the gun out of her hand.
He stood, holding her in front of him like a shield, covering his head and chest as he backed to the plane and swiftly climbed the stairs backward.
Jasper and Dax ran forward while the other two soldiers stood and started firing. Jasper leaped to the left, and his brother went the other way as they dropped and rolled, coming up and firing some more. Green lasers filled the darkened day from both sides.
Leah struggled furiously, but Wallace held tight. Ducking his head, he maneuvered them both inside and hit a red button on the wall. The stairs started to lift into the plane.
“No.” Panicking, she shot an elbow into his gut.
He partially bent and let out a painedoofbefore throwing her into a leather seat. “Sit. Let’s go,” he called to the two Kurjan pilots in the front.
The engines started immediately. Leah scrambled to stand and looked toward the back of the plane, which had been reconfigured into a cage of sorts. Seven women stood behind the bars, their eyes wide, and their ages ranging from approximately eighteen to forty.
“Where are we going?” a tall redhead snapped, her fingers wrapping around a bar.
“Home,” Wallace said. He looked at Leah. “Do I need to tie you?”
“Why don’t you put me in the little cage there?” she suggested.
He looked back at the women.
Yeah, opening the door would be risky, but if she could get all seven of them to fight and rush him at once, it may work.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “If you’re going to be a queen, you might as well start acting like one.”
“You’re no king, asshole.”
He reached out to slap her, and she ducked, bursting forward and charging him, shooting her knee into his groin. It was a direct hit, and he breathed out, partially bending over. She took advantage and punched him in the nose as hard as she could.
His blood spurted across her arm, burning her instantly.
