Page 83 of The Alien Warrior's Heart

He pushed that thought out of his mind because thinking of Si-Moon would make him falter. It made him soft. For the first time in his life, he had spared a Heronas from death and the outcome had cost him everything.

The Heronas are dying out and when they’re all gone, what will you have left?

Zar roared. His mate’s tortured emotions filled his mind. Sorrow. Regret. They weighed heavily on his shoulders and it took all his energy to embrace them so he could focus on the ride ahead.

Glancing up, Zar saw a tall tree in his path. Moving on instinct, he yanked on the handles and turned the zapten sideways. The near collision made his heras jump even faster and his hate burn even brighter.

The comms connected.

Lans’s face appeared in a holo projection.

Zar spoke while keeping his gaze on the horizon. “Lans, get the females out of the dwelling.”

“Do you know…” Lans’s voice crackled and the holo dipped out of sight. When it flickered back in, Lans was in the middle of a scolding. “Where in denizi are you?”

“Si-Moon…”

“She’s worried about you, Zar. She—”

“Get her out of there.”

“What? Why?”

Zar tapped the comms and ended the call.

His gut told him that Dizid had been bluffing when he threatened to bomb their hideout. Someone so desperate to save his species would do anything. Zar knew. His desperation to avenge his father was what shaped him into the warrior that he was.

But, if there was even a small chance that Diziddidhold such weapons, Zar wanted his mate far away from the blast.

His life meant nothing. He could die today.

Maybe he would.

But Zar would never be able to rest if he brought along the demise of the woman he had sworn to protect.

This was not about Si-Moon.

This was about his vengeance.

All Heronas must die.

He grabbed ahold of that refrain and tucked it close, allowing it to wrap around his heras and protect him from the agony.

If he killed the species responsible for the death of his father, perhaps the world would not feel so empty and dark. Perhaps he could make a way back to the female who held his heras, to his mate, to Si-Moon.

Zar saw two hovercrafts up ahead. The light from the sun glinted against the metallic hulls. Two glass planes were at the front of the hub, allowing the drivers to steer the hovercraft.

His eyes scanned the rear of the vehicles. They were outfitted with massive canons. The position of the weapons warned Zar that those cannons were not for maximum speed.

They were for war.

A cold smirk grew on his face. The fury that he had known since he’d seen his father’s body cut up and bruised on the grassy knoll eclipsed him. Zar was most comfortable here. He was…

A sweeping emotion crashed through his mind, overwhelming him so that he almost slammed on the brakes.

Si-Moon.

Her anxiety took over everything it touched in his mind.