Page 54

Broken promise.

Vince was anxious. I could feel him from here on the station, which was odd, but I’d left him upset.

I hadn’t wanted to leave him, but I had responsibilities.

I did my best to focus on my meetings, arranging rooms, security, and food for the humans and my brothers until the Admiral Ven came for them.

Talvax and her ship, as well as Monqilcolnen, should be here in a handful of weeks, and they would take my brothers and the humans to Tamkolvanloknol.

For now, the humans would remain in their quarters as much as possible, even with the extra security I was hiring and the station security.

This station was under the Drakcol Empire and run by drakcol, but other aliens were very populous here and this station bordered unfriendly space.

I didn’t trust anyone to keep the humans, let alone my mate, safe.

Don! Vince shrieked.

I staggered. Commander Hyn of the station reached out to stabilize me, but I waved them off. Vince. Something was wrong with Vince. I ran out of the room, ignoring the calls that followed me. I didn’t care about my meeting or anything else. My mate needed me.

I wove through the crowd, snarling when people blocked my way. Vince kept screaming for me. He was here on the station, and I had no idea why. He was supposed to stay in our quarters. What could’ve drawn him here not long after I’d left him?

His cries filled my mind, and he was getting further away. I didn't know where he was, but I could feel him and I would find him. I would track him to the end of known space and further to find him. Nothing in this universe would keep me from my mate.

I ripped down a corridor. He had to be here. Somewhere. This was the docking ring. Whoever had him was trying to take him away. I growled. That would never happen.

Don , Vince called out.

Now that I was racing around the docking ring, his voice was getting closer.

My feet pounded on the metal floors and flowers and vines on the walls flew past me as I tried to hone in on Vince.

I skidded to a stop when I came to a fork in the docking ring.

One path continued along the ring, and the spoke went off to docking for several different ships.

Vince screamed, and I turned down the spoke, hearing him in my mind and with my ears. I was close.

“Shut up,” a deep voice snarled, followed by a harsh slap and a subsequent yelp.

Anger unlike anything I’d ever known surged through me.

There was Vince in the hands of an alien.

Blood dribbled out of Vince’s mouth and the entire left side of his face was bruised.

I roared and was across the corridor without thought.

I ripped the alien away and threw him toward the wall.

He collided with a thud, and a haze of flowers erupted off the damaged vines.

I put myself between Vince and the alien. Panting, I growled, wings out and tail thrashing. I would kill this person for hurting Vince.

“Don,” I whispered.

He didn’t react.

The alien got to his feet and yanked out a blaster.

I screamed, terrified that Don would be injured, but Don didn’t flinch.

He slapped the blaster away and punched my would-be kidnapper straight in the face.

Don’s tail latched around the alien, throwing them.

Crouching, Don snarled. The alien growled, and they collided in a mass of limbs.

My heart pounded. I couldn’t help. Fighting wasn’t my thing, and the alien was huge, though Don wasn’t much smaller. With my good hand, I grabbed my touchstone.

“Kalvoxrencol,” I called. As much as I would rather talk to Seth, I needed help, and no one was a better fighter than Kal.

“Vince, where are you?” he snarled, sounding as angry as Don.

I screamed when Don crashed into the wall, green blood dotting his side. My kidnapper had a knife. “Kal,” I cried. “Someone stole me. Don’s here. We need help. Please .”

“I’m coming. So are Serlotminden and Zoltilvoxfyn. Hold on, Vince. We are coming, brother.”

“Don,” I yelled; he was on the ground, bleeding quite profusely. The alien had stabbed him. I dropped my touchstone and raced in front of Don, throwing myself at the alien. “Leave him alone!”

The red alien tossed me aside with ease.

Don staggered to his feet. He bared his teeth and launched at the alien, his hands cupping their jaw.

He shoved the alien back against the wall.

Don didn’t seem to be doing anything, but the alien started to scream.

Don held on, growling. The alien thrashed, but eventually, their eyes closed and they slumped.

Don didn’t let go or stop growling.

“Don,” I whispered, trying to get to my feet. My ribs ached, my face throbbed, my left eye was swollen closed, and I was pretty sure my shoulder was dislocated, not to mention the plethora of bruises and scrapes.

He didn’t release my would-be kidnapper.

“Sweetheart,” I said, trying to get up again but failing. I whimpered. “Sweetheart, I need you.”

Instantly, he dropped the alien and prowled toward me. A deep prey instinct told me to run, but my lizard brain could go fuck itself. Don was mine, and he sure as hell wouldn’t hurt me. I reached for him, and Don swept me into his embrace.

Even with the tension in his muscles, he was exceedingly gentle. I pressed against him, breathing hard. My fingers slid down, finding the wound on his side. I pressed my palm against it; blood leaked between my fingers.

“Sweetheart, you’re hurt.”

Don didn’t answer; he was cupping my chin and staring at my bruised face.

“I’m fine, Don. You’re not.”

He ignored me.

I didn’t know how much he was actually understanding at this exact second.

I pressed his hand against my uninjured cheek.

He needed me. A connection formed between us.

I could sense his anger, terror, need, pain, and so much more.

I rested my forehead against him and thought about soothing things: the ocean, Don singing to me, Don playing the harpsichord, us snuggling, and many other things, all while our song played in the background.

“Dontilvynsan,” voices yelled.

Don snarled, but I kept hold of him.

“We’re safe,” I whispered. “We keep each other safe.”

Kal stood in the front and held out his hands. “You know us, Captain. Everything’s fine. You and Vince need treatment.”

Don’s arm tightened its hold on me.

Seth peeked around Kal. “Don, calm down. Vince is hurt, and you’re bleeding everywhere.” His voice shook a tad, but he stepped forward, pushing Kal’s hands away. “Don, trust us. I know you do. So stop. Just stop. Vince needs help.”

Looking down at me, Don frowned. I went up on my toes, ignoring the pain, and kissed his lips. “Mine. All mine.”

“Yours.”

“Good. Now we need treatment,” I said. “And that fucker has more humans somewhere.”

Kal growled. “Zoltilvoxfyn, have them lock the station down. No one is leaving or coming until we find them all.”

“Of course.” Fyn darted off.

Commander Bimwoxcol and a few other drakcol I didn’t know stepped forward, taking my would-be kidnapper into custody. Mindy was barking orders while Kal came toward us slowly.

I kept Don’s hand on my cheek to keep him calm. “Come on, Sweetheart.”

I lay in the med bay, eyes on Vince. Doctor Muznim and Physician Klars had tried to move him out of my sight, and I’d snarled, ushering them away. Vince had calmed me down again, choosing a bed right next to mine. I had to keep him within sight.

My soul was throbbing in pain. I’d broken my promise. Someone had hurt Vince, and I hadn’t protected him. I’d failed. I paid no attention to the assistant working on my stab wound. Muznim had wanted to heal me first, but I refused. Vince was more important.

With his arm bound to his chest, Vince moved toward me.

His face was still bruised and his movements were jerky.

It would take time for him to heal. Amorians weren’t as advanced in medicine as we were, but their techniques and medicine were usable and helpful to humans.

Not all Drakcon technology could safely be used on humans.

He climbed onto the bed beside me, and I hauled him closer, careful to be gentle. Vince rested a hand over my throbbing soul. “Are you alright?”

“Yes.”

“He was stabbed. Several scales were broken, and he has some internal damage from the knife as well as broken ribs and bruised organs,” Muznim answered, looking at her screen.

Vince gripped my shirt. “But he’ll be fine, right?”

“Yes,” she said. “Captain Dontilvynsan will make a full recovery. He simply needs rest.”

My mate glared at me. “You heard her. Rest.”

I ran a hand through his hair. “As you wish, my Vince.”