“Warlord Bahre?” A young female officer approached. The petite human stared up at me, hands on her hips.
I nodded, although I had no doubt she knew who I was. My image was in the lobby, and as Ellen had said, I was all over the television. “Yes. I am Bahre.”
“I’m Officer Daniels. Come with me please. We’d like to ask you some questions.”
No. She wasn’t asking questions. I was. “Where is my mate? Where is Quinn McCaffrey?”
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”
As the young female did not offer valid information, I turned to Ellen. “Where was she when she was taken?”
“Wait a minute. How do you know she was taken against her will?” The officer followed Ellen through ugly, barren back hallways to a door that looked like any other.
Ellen stopped and turned to me. “In here.”
I reached for the door handle.
“Don't touch that!” Officer Daniels placed her body between me and the door. My beast was not pleased. “There might be fingerprints on that door handle.”
I did not give a fuck about fingerprints. “Move or I will move you, female.”
“Bahre.” Tane’s hand came to rest on my shoulder, and he stepped around me to address the young woman. I hadn’t even known he’d remained behind me. I was too focused. Too intent on finding Quinn. “Please open the door, Officer.”
She glared at me, showing either a disturbing lack of self-preservation or a foolish amount of courage. I wasn’t sure which.
Reaching into her pocket, she produced a thin, floppy glove and put it on. Careful not to touch anything more than necessary, she turned the handle and pushed the door open. I knew of fingerprints and their use in identification, but it was so primitive. The Coalition’s technology was far beyond that basic task of investigation, and it was extremely frustrating that the person who seemed to be in charge thought they were so important.
It made me doubt the humans’ abilities to find my mate.
I inhaled deeply. Immediately the scent of my mate flooded my senses. Yes, this was Quinn’s space. She spent a lot of time here.
I walked into the room and closed my eyes, allowed my enhanced senses to bring other information to me.
The scent of a male. Fresh. Aggressive.
“There has been a male in this room.”
Ellen walked to stand beside me. “Oh, no. It was just me and Quinn today. Mike Rampart has the day off.”
“Not him. I scented him last night. Another male was here.” I glared at Ellen, who had gone pale.
“Oh, no.”
Tane, the officer, and I all looked at Ellen expectantly.
“Speak. Now,” I commanded.
“I know she’s been having trouble with Jeff Randall. She told me she’s seen him around town. He’s never approached her, only, like, across a parking lot. He’s kept to the rules of his restraining order, but maybe he’s finally gone after her. I mean, everyone in Miami saw you claim her as your mate on live TV. Maybe he wasn’t thrilled with that.”
“He took my mate from me?” My beast was not amused. She’d spoken of the threat, told me about the guy, but she’d been with me the night before. She’d been safe.
I looked to Tane. “She was not safe, and I left her.”
“Focus,” he whispered.
“I should have found this… Jeff Randall. Crushed the male and ended her concern.”
“No crushing,” Officer Daniels said to me, then spoke into her radio. She listened, then turned to Ellen. “Ms. McCaffrey had a restraining order against Jeff Randall. Is that correct?”
Ellen nodded. “Yes. He followed it by staying the exact distance away. But he came here from Chicago. For her. Harassed her. Followed her around.”
My beast took over, and I grew even more, towering over Tane.
“Oh, shit.” Officer Daniels took a step back. Tane looked up at me, and I knew he was thinking the same thing I was. His next question confirmed it.
“Where can we find Jeff Randall? Not for crushing, but to find Warlord Bahre’s mate.”
Yes. Where was this male who tormented my mate? I would find him. And unlike what Tane just said, I would crush him. And if he had hurt Quinn, I would make him suffer before I killed him.
7
Bahre
There had been a Hunter on Earth watching over Angela, Braun’s mate, for the two weeks he’d been separated from her. The Hunter had been sent by the Prime himself to protect the warlord’s mate while the negotiations between Lorvar and Earth’s diplomatic team proceeded. Braun had been expelled from the planet and not been allowed to return. Gods, no one had been able to come to Earth besides the ambassador, all because a human had killed himself by falling down a flight of stairs while stealing a television.
Stupid, primitive humans.
Over the past few hours, watching the law enforcement efforts in trying to find Quinn, along with what Braun had experienced, made me completely lacking in trust that they would find my mate. They swarmed and talked. Made plans. Asked questions. No human could scent her or the male as I had. Their skills were simple and modest, and that made my beast irate. I wanted my usual group from the IC here. Now. They’d find her, and the fucker who took her, within the hour.
I had no idea how Braun had kept his beast in check when he’d been kept from Angela, especially when he’d had mating fever. I was losing my mind. My beast was pushing to get to the surface, and I’d had to will him back again and again. The last thing I wanted to do was