Page 82 of The Alien Warrior's Heart

Simone’s breath got caught in her throat as the truth was revealed. The puzzle pieces were fitting together, and they painted a very different picture than what she’d imagined.

Lans shook his head. “Zar knew how much the Heronas meant to you so he pushed his feelings aside and came to us to make a plan. That’s what we were doing until now.”

“That’s why you didn’t come to bed,” Kia said, turning to Pin.

Her mate nodded.

Lans planted his hands on his waist and his muscles bulged in the light. “We think Chozo overheard us. When I went to collect him from the kitchen, he was gone.”

Simone felt sick.That’swhy Chozo had sought her out in the middle of the night.

“He ran away,” she said.

Every head swung her way.

“That’s what Chozo was trying to tell me. That he was leaving.”

“Yes. We think he ran,” Korben said.

“Korben, Zar and I left to inform our mates about the mission.” Pin tapped his chest and scoffed. “We were going to rescue a Heronas. It didn’t sit well with any of us, but Zar insisted that he wouldn’t leave Chozo to die. He’d thought about it, but he said you would never forgive him if he ignored the brood.”

Regret crashed into Simone. Despite losing his father because of the Heronas, Zar had set out to rescue one for her sake. He had come to the room to tell her about it all and she’d snapped at him because of her own insecurity.

She’d chosen fear over love.

She’d chosen doubt over her mate.

And now, she’d driven Zar into a blood lust that he might not come home from. As the realizations rattled through her, Zar’s emotions merged with hers and the pain slowly faded in her head.

But the pain in her heart?

It bloomed and bloomed until she felt like she’d been shot.

Simone wrapped her arms around herself.What have I done?

Thirty-One

Zar

The wind grabbedhis hair by the fistfuls and threw it into his face as he rode towards the rising sun. The purple skies were clear, but he did not need to see the Heronas hovercraft to know where they were going.

I’m done, Zar!

Si-Moon’s words flogged his heras. Fear consumed him and he did not want to let it fester. Neh. His affection made him weak.

He was Zar, the ender of the Heronas.

And today, he would end every Heronas in sight.

Steering his zapten with one hand, Zar tapped to the navigation dash on his interface. Keeping one eye on the horizon and the other on the hologram, he increased his speed.

It was dangerous to ride while distracted. It was one of the first lessons a father gave his son when teaching them how to ride a zapten.

But Zar did not particularly care about his own safety today. Nor did he care to follow these rules. Adrenaline made him fearless and his hatred made him feel like the most powerful Plutonian in the world.

He needed nothing else.

You need Si-Moon.