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“Errik, wait.” She stepped to the side, revealing her brother on the video comm screen. “I need to tell you something.”

Her mate’s eyes narrowed as he peered at the screen, and a growl rumbled from his throat. “Who is that?”

“My brother.” Her voice broke. “Arnold, this is Errik.”

For a moment, neither male spoke.

Then Arnold leaned closer to his screen. “So you’re the alien who’s been keeping my sister.”

Errik stepped closer to the video comm and snarled. “Keeping her? Holly is my mate. She is here because she wants to be here.”

“She doesn’t understand what you are.”

“Enough!” Holly cried. “Arnold, I know you think you’re protecting me, but you’ve made a terrible mistake. Errik, please just listen to me.”

She took a shaky breath and told Errik everything. She explained that she’d just learned Arnold was still alive only a few minutes ago, that he had a contact at the Interstellar Alliance who’d revealed the full extent of Errik’s actions at the seedy outposts, and that he’d hired Rumhuxxian mercenaries to take her back to Earth. The words tumbled out so quickly that she wasn’t sure she was making any sense. As she spoke, Errik’s expression grew increasingly dark.

When she finished, he looked down at his wrist comm again and tapped the side of it. He said something into the device in Vaxxlian, his voice low and dangerous. She didn’t understand his language yet, but she caught the word Rumhuxxian clearly and knew he’d just told his people about the origins of the cloaked vessel.

She walked closer to him and caught his hand. “Please, Errik, please don’t do anything reckless. I don’t want to leave New Vaxx, but I don’t want anyone to get hurt. Especially you.”

As he looked at her, some of the harshness in his eyes softened.

“I will not allow anyone to take you from me, my darling mate. But if that vessel is carrying armed mercenaries, we must intercept it before it reaches the planet. I cannot risk them getting close enough to threaten you or harm our people.”

A strange beep sounded behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder briefly to see Arnold had disconnected the call. Her fury and frustration toward her brother mounted, but so did her worry for her mate and all the people, Vaxxlian and human alike, who called New Vaxx home.

“I must leave now,” Errik said.

“No!” She gripped his hand more tightly. “Errik, please. What if you get hurt? I know you have healing nanobots in your system, but what if you get hurt badly?”

He cupped her cheek in one hand, brushing away her tears with his thumb. “I have survived worse than this. I will return to you.”

“How can you promise that?”

His gaze held hers. “Because I have every intention of spending the rest of my life with you.”

Her heart ached at the sincerity in his words. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and refuse to let go until he’d agreed not to rush off to face the mercenaries. But the alert on his wrist comm sounded once more, and she knew he couldn’t remain here with her. He was a proud Vaxxlian warrior, and she doubted anything she might say would sway his mind.

“Come,” he said gently. “I’m taking you to the safe room. You’ll be protected there while we deal with this.”

He guided her out of the library and down the corridor toward the basement. She stumbled along beside him, her thoughts racing. She’d only just found her brother again—or rather, he’d found her—and now Arnold was putting Errik and his people in danger.

Once they reached the safe room, Errik ushered her inside.

“You must stay here until I return. I am locking you inside.” He paused and drew in a long breath. “I will let my comrades know you are here just in case anything happens to me.”

Tears burned in her eyes. No. He couldn’t leave her here. He couldn’t.

She shook her head. “I don’t like this. I’m scared. I have a very bad feeling.”

He took her in his arms, holding her tightly to him as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I know, my darling mate. I know. But I will do everything in my power to return to you.”

She buried her face against him, breathing in his familiar masculine scent. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing him.

He let go of her and backed away. “I will return to you.” His voice brimmed with conviction.

Then he spun on his heel, departed the safe room, and sealed her inside.