“We need to talk,” I tell her, my voice grim.
Every muscle in her body tightens. The way I said those words was a clear message that what’s coming next is not going to be good.
As I explain the predicament and my plan, she seems to cave in on herself as if her frame is shrinking the longer I talk.
“A suicide mission, Bayne?”
Her tone is doleful. She has to be thinking how terrible the timing is. We just found each other, and now I’m walking into a likely death trap.
She hugs me so tightly it’s like she wants to crawl into my skin with me. She’s quiet, thinking. Finally, she says, “I know how much you hate him.”
“Yes.”
“He killed your mother.”
“Yes.” Her mind is thinking this through, gaining an understanding of what I’m going through.
“He set in motion the events that trapped you in canine form for a decade.”
“Aye.”
“I imagine it would be torture for you to walk away from him, from this opportunity to kill him.”
“Yes.”
“I’m trying to figure out which one of us would be in more agony,” she says, obviously using every scrap of self-control she has to manage her grief. “Would it be you if you walk away and let him live, or me if you die on Fairea and I never see you again? I think the torture would be about equal.”
“Probably, Willa.” I pull her to me even more tightly and rub her back while I nuzzle her hair. In my mind, WarDog is emitting a constant whimper as Willa’s overwhelming scent of fear, grief and love envelop us. It’s breaking our heart but I hold firm.
“You know I don’t want you to do this,” her gaze spears mine, “but I understand, Bayne. I do. I won’t give you my blessing—you’ll never get that. And I won’t give you permission, that’s something parents give their children; we’re equals in this relationship. But I will give you compassionate forgiveness. I understand.”
My heart squeezes knowing just how much her generosity is costing her. “Thank you, Willa. I love you. With all my heart. Forever and always.” I sag with relief and let out the breath I was holding.
WarDog stops the heartrending sound he was making but is still on his belly with his head on his paws and his ears tipped back, overwhelmed by Willa’s fear. I regret only one thing right now. I should have made her my mate the other night when we made love.
Maybe, though, it’s a blessing. Since we’re not mated, if I die she’ll be able to move on, find someone else. That thought makes me feel as though someone threw a spear through my heart.
My inner beast leaps to his feet, standing tall and proud and declares We will not fail. We will find our enemy. Kill him. Return to our mate and claim her. Although I’m relieved to have my partner solidly behind me, I know our chances of succeeding are still uncertain.
Pressing my lips to her ear I decide to decimate any barriers that might still be erected between us. I might never see her again. I want to give her this, a final gift. She can carry my words with her in her heart even if we never see each other again.
“I love you, my Willa. As much as any male ever loved any female. When I was a youngling tales were told around the fire at night. My favorite was of the sun god and moon goddess who were punished by others in the pantheon of gods. They were forever doomed to never touch, and to only see each other at magical times. Their love for each other never dimmed, though.
“I love you that much, Willa. Keep it with you always. Shining in the darkness. Never doubt it. Never.”
She presses her cheek against my chest, hiding her face from me, although she can't hide her tears. I feel them. I smell them.
“I love you, too, Bayne. Whatever happens, know that.”
She reaches on tiptoe to kiss me. Not a passionate kiss that would be more fitting in the bedroom, but a sweet kiss filled with all the love and longing two people can have for each other.
Compassionate forgiveness. Only Willa could be so generous when her heart is breaking. I walk away and forbid myself to look back. My inner canine is whining, Can’t leave our mate, need her, love her. We’ll kill our enemy. Will come back to Willa.
It’s hard enough without his emotions flooding me, but his heart is breaking, too. I embrace his determination and shore up my own flagging spirit as I walk away from Willa, forbidding myself to look back.
Chapter Twelve
Bayne
The group packs up, stealing everything that isn’t nailed down or already smashed to bits. Our females double-check that the rescued females are comfortable with the plan to lodge them onboard the ship, at least for the time being.
While they’re doing that, I check out the garage and disable every hover and space vessel in the hangar. Khour isn’t going to get off this planet alive. By all the Gods, I vow it.
In all the chaos, with people coming and going, it’s easy for me to hide loaded weapons in every nook and cranny of the main mansion. My mind runs hundreds of scenarios, and I plan for every possible disaster that Zar, Beast, and I could conceive. When they found out Willa hadn’t persuaded me to abort this mission, they stepped up to help me plan. These are males I am proud to know and call friends.
Khour will come out shortly after everyone leaves. I know it. He’s too cocky. Too self-assured. Surreptitiously, I set hidden vid cameras, the humans call them bugs, around the mansion and will see him on my comm
