Lukabo advanced on me with a true snarl and a speed that surprised me. I jerked backward, my head hitting the cold, hard surface behind me. “They were conducting Siren business.”
I frowned. I understood his words but not what they meant.
“What kind of business? The illegal kind?”
His gaze narrowed as if using the word illegal had hurt his feelings. “The kind that keeps my people safe and fed.” Seeming to have gained some control, he crossed his arms and simply stared. “You are a very interesting female. No wonder there is so much talk of human mates.”
Human mates to a guy like him? Um… were they advertised in the Interstellar Brides marketing? “There is?” Curious again, I crossed my own arms, mimicking his stance. “What do they say about human women?”
“That you are fearless, adaptable, passionate, loyal, and very hard to acquire.”
Well, that didn’t sound so bad. He’d acquired me too darn easily, but I wasn’t going to mention that. “So if I’m not your enemy, what am I doing here?”
“You, female, are bait. I will lure Warlord Bahre to this station. You are his mate. He will come. Then I will kill him and avenge my family. After, I will deliver you to Cerberus. He has promised a very high price.”
Who was Cerberus? He wanted to buy me?
“If I don’t agree to cooperate?”
Lukabo actually threw back his head and laughed, the sound pure evil. Light glinted off his fangs. For the first time since I woke up on this space station, I was afraid. Not so much for me—I was used to crazy assholes threatening me. It was strange, but I was almost numb. I seemed to attract lunatics, and the fact that I was getting used to it was pretty sad.
My fear was for Bahre. Because this crazy alien stalker—and he just admitted he’d been stalking Bahre for the last year—was right about one thing. Bahre would come for me. That was a fact.
We were in this room because we had to wait. Lukabo was more patient than me. I was eager for Bahre, craved him. But seeing him could mean his death. I dropped onto the bed and stared at Lukabo for several minutes, sizing him up. He was huge compared to humans, but not an Atlan. His fangs were interesting but not really going to help him in a fight. I had to have faith that Bahre would know what he was doing when he got here. Still, I was worried. I wasn’t going to underestimate Lukabo.
When Bahre did show, I knew he wouldn’t come alone. He wasn’t stupid. And he had friends. Big freaking Atlan friends who would tear this stupid space station apart to find me.
I folded my hands in my lap, took some deep cleansing breaths I’d learned in yoga. All I could do now was wait for my guy to come bust me out of this joint. And tear this alien vampire creep into pieces.
9
Bahre, Transport Station Zenith, Private Apartment
“Wait just a moment, Bahre.” Dr. Helion stood, focused inwardly on his thoughts, which I’d seen him do often. The only being in the Intelligence Core who had more voluntary implants than I did was the good doctor himself, so he could be using some sense, some integration I didn’t even know about, as a basis for his plan. He was here now and could make plans accordingly. It annoyed the shit out of me, but had made him what he was. An asshole but good at his job. I had no idea what he was truly capable of. I didn’t want to know.
“I’m finding my mate, and I’m done,” I said. I didn’t break the chain of command. Never had. Not until now. Always followed orders. Day after day I was one of Helion’s weapons. No longer.
“We’ll discuss your status after we retrieve your female,” he countered.
I shook my head. “No. I’m done. I’m taking her to Atlan where I can protect her properly. No more missions.”
“You have not been released from active duty, Warlord. You were sent to Earth to lay low for a while, not broadcast your mating on every comm on every planet in the galaxy.”
Lay low for a while? That’s what he called the Bachelor Beast program and the intention to use Atlan beasts to increase human volunteers to the Interstellar Brides Program?
The roar my beast released at the doctor made the Hunters step back, hands on their weapons. Dr. Helion didn’t even flinch. “She is unharmed. We have time. I have her coordinates.”
Time? Every second my mate was in the hands of my enemies was pushing me closer to losing control. My shoulders snapped back. I’d been ready to tear apart the ship to find her, but he was luring me into following his orders by sharing this. It worked. “Tell me.”
He held up his hand. “No. First, you will listen to me.”
“Tell me!” I grabbed the Prillon doctor by the neck and picked him up off the floor. My beast and I were in agreement. This fucking asshole had exceeded our patience.
Helion didn’t even kick his feet. Didn’t struggle. Only looked me in the eye. “Calm down, Bahre.”
“I am calm. You, of all people, know that.” I spoke true. My beast was my beast. I never lost control. That fact made me dangerous, even more dangerous than my warlord brothers. Their beasts, when riled, could lose control. If I ripped an enemy’s head off, it was because I wanted to.
“We both know you aren’t going to kill me,” he replied. “You are only delaying saving your mate. Put me down.”
Fuck.
I set the Prillon doctor on his feet, and the Hunters visibly relaxed. Tane, however, was battling his own beast at my show
