That role allowed me to be here among friends, my beautiful female nearby. Safe. Waiting for me to come to her after her work was completed.
Then the real discussion would begin, for I could not remain on Earth. It was not allowed. She would need to accompany me to The Colony. Live there. Leave her life on Earth behind.
What if she refused to give up everything she had for a broken, scarred beast?
What if last night meant something different to her than it did to me and my beast?
I’d heard of females seeking short-term sexual relationships with men. It was done all the time on Earth and even elsewhere in the universe. The idea of Quinn participating in that with others made my beast angry, but I was no innocent either.
There would be no other for me. I had to ensure there would be no other for Quinn as well. It was my job to sway her if she had any doubts.
Even the possibility that she had any made me panic. My cuffs were affixed to my belt, not to our wrists.
“That is a serious countenance, Bahre.” Tane sat beside me and watched the others return to wrestling.
“I have not told my mate that she will need to leave Earth. I do not know what her response will be. Surely she knows it is coming.”
Tane chuckled. “Simply put your mouth on her pussy and make her come until she agrees.”
What a pleasure that would be. I grinned at the thought, but my female was most likely stubborn. I’d met other Earth women who’d been matched, and they tested the patience of their mates. Each and every one. I expected nothing less from Quinn. “I do not know if that will be enough.”
“Then you aren’t doing it right.”
I shoved him so hard he fell off the chair he’d been sitting in and landed on his ass on the floor. But he was laughing. “A little sensitive?”
“I assure you, my mate is well satisfied.” I thought of the sound of her pleasure as I’d filled her, the look on her face as I did so. The tremble and quiver of her body.
“Then what’s the problem?”
I shook my head but remained silent, not wanting to go into the details of the night before spent with Quinn. She was mine. Our time together was mine as well. I did not want to share her.
“You’re irresistible, Bahre. One night and she let you into her bed.” He grinned again, happy for me, which was a gift from a true friend. “She’ll love you. And once she does, she’ll follow you anywhere.”
I wasn’t so sure, but I didn’t have time to argue before a knock came on the door.
One of the others pushed off the floor and went to open it. I was surprised to see a small, older female standing on the other side. She was wringing her hands and looked upset.
“Is… is Bahre here?” She had to tip her chin back to look at Warlord Iven.
I stood at once, every instinct screaming at me that something was wrong and it wasn’t that she was fearful of Iven and his size.
“I am here.” I strode to the door. She stood in the stairwell, not coming inside.
She beckoned me with her hand. “You need to come. I mean, I’m Ellen. I know Quinn. You need to come now.” The alarm in her voice had my beast rising in an instant.
“Is Quinn well?”
She looked to me, then away. “I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know? Where is she?” My voice had risen, and I was shouting.
She cringed. “I don’t know.”
My beast roared, and the little female jumped like she was terrified. Iven reached out a hand to steady her, his voice kinder and gentle, as if she were a frightened child. “It’s all right, Ellen. Bahre would never harm a female.”
“Okay.” She allowed Iven to lead her into the room, barely. The door would not close and rested against her foot. She looked up at me. “You are with Quinn, right?”
“She is mine.”
Ellen nodded. “Good. That’s what I thought. Your video went viral, you know? When you interrupted her segment. The network is thrilled. Forty million views in the first twelve hours. And she was so happy when she came in…” The woman’s rambling voice trailed off, and Tane held out a hand to warn me off as Iven urged her to continue.
“Where is Quinn now?” Iven asked, his voice deliberately gentle, completely opposite of mine.
“I don’t know. I finished her makeup, left to get some cleaner for my brushes, and when I came back, I heard her scream, but when I opened the door, she was gone.”
My hands clenched into fists.
“When?” Tane asked.
“About twenty minutes ago. I’m sorry. I forgot you were downstairs until the police asked if she was dating anyone. And since Quinn’s seen Jeff Randall—the guy who’s been stalking her—here in Miami, I thought maybe it was him at first. You know? I just wasn’t sure what to do.”
I processed everything she said. Quinn screamed twenty minutes ago, and I was just learning about it now. The police were here. And the mention of her stalker, again, had my beast wanting to rip heads from bodies. One in particular since local law enforcement wasn’t able to do so.
“Show me,” I said, on the balls of my feet and ready to knock the woman out of the way to dash up the two flights of steps.
Ellen pivoted on her heel as if relieved to be able to move and began to climb the stairs. I followed with Tane right behind me. The others stayed behind at my command. I did not need a group of Atlans tearing up this station or frightening my mate or her friends. Two would be plenty.
When we reached the upper floor, Ellen opened the door to chaos.
Human police officers were everywhere, four immediately within view. They were dressed in identical dark uniforms, their chests
