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CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

The afternoon, evening, and entire frustrating night had passed, and Zepharos had lay immobile the entire time, straining and struggling with every fiber of his being to force his limbs to move.

To somehow overcome what he now knew was a very potent stun blast, the device set to a level bordering on dangerous.

The trackers had not planned on killing their prey, but if they’d upped the power just a little more, they quite possibly could have.

Then there was the matter of Maria’s human physiology.

Zepharos was much larger, and certainly more robustly built.

But the Earth girl? Had she not had her runes completed, helping reinforce her body far more than any would have expected, they could very well have stunned her so completely that her lungs would have simply ceased functioning.

But she was alive. He could feel it in his Infala, somehow sensing their bond despite their separation. Their runes were nearly identical, the union almost complete. But while this would have normally been a time of celebration, instead he found himself separated from his love.

Zepharos’s mind raced at first, his heart and soul in a fury, nearing panic as he lay unable to help, failing in his most core of duties. He swore to protect her no matter what. With his life, if need be. But even that was denied him.

Calm your mind, Zepharos. Panic will not do her any good, nor will raging against the impossible. You are stuck here, but your mind still functions, so put it to use.

Logically, that made sense. But for one so accustomed to the easy application of physical strength and prowess, it still required quite a bit of willpower to force himself to obey his own directives.

Eventually his mind relented, slipping into an almost comfortable meditation. And with that internal stillness came clarity.

They couldn’t have flown in , he realized.

We’d have spotted the ship, and there is nowhere clear enough for them to have landed.

A commando squad could drop in, but those were the chancellor’s kids.

No way they are up for that sort of action, which means they had to trek in.

And that means they will be on foot until they reach their craft.

He knew their new home nearly as intimately as his new mate, reveling in exploring the land around their cozy nest as much as he enjoyed doing the same to Maria’s body.

There were few options for entry into their secluded hideaway besides the watery one the couple had arrived by, and that meant he could possibly still catch up to them.

They are burdened carrying her, he mused, running the events of the abduction through his mind over and over.

He looked strong. Capable. But only the tracker will be forced to carry her.

He’ll have to do it the entire time. No way will those two stoop so low as to do what they see as menial labor, even in this situation, and that works to my advantage.

Zepharos thought about the way the man had looked at them.

How he’d had them dead to rights but had, incredibly, seemed to choose to leave them be.

It was unexpected. Incredible, really. But it was a reality he could not deny.

They were only caught when Flagro Vinchi appeared before the man could steer them in a different direction, and it was that son of a bitch who had shot them.

Fucking horrible aim , he noted, amused despite the shitty situation.

Just goes to prove that money and power can’t buy everything.

But what about the tracker? He knows what he’s doing, clearly, and yet he saved my life.

Why leave me alive? Was it to torment me as they took her?

No, that doesn’t seem right. And that look he gave me.

He looked like he was actually sorry. And then he even told me their destination.

Why would he help me? Help an escaped ? —

The realization hit him like a slap across the face.

He’s one of Chancellor Vinchi’s indentured servants, he has to be. Doing the job he is bound to perform, but not liking it. It’s the only explanation.

He felt the knot in his stomach ease slightly.

If that was truly the case, then that meant the man would keep Maria safe.

He’d already risked the chancellor’s wrath by standing up to his son.

Protecting his precious cargo would be nothing by comparison.

And Zepharos had a sneaking suspicion he’d told him where they were going for a reason.

He’s sandbagging. Moving slow. He knows I’ll be down for some time, but he’s giving me a chance. And I cannot squander it.

Zepharos ran through possible routes. The direction they’d arrived from made it likely they had crested the far ridge and worked their way along the upper hillside above the lagoon before descending to where they had encountered their prey.

If they’d come that way, they would not have seen any trace of their shelter or farming plot.

That would explain their surprise at finding them.

And that meant the possible landing sites for their ship were greatly reduced .

But they have a big head start. I’ll have to make up a lot of time, and I don’t think even the tracker would have expected them to use so strong a stun setting.

So that leaves me with two options regardless of their landing site.

Try to catch them before they reach their ship, or head them off at their destination. Now, which option makes the most ? —

A slimy, warm tongue across the face snapped him out of his thought process. He couldn’t move his head yet, but it could only be one of two possible things.

Popcorn. Of course it’s you. Sorry, buddy, I can’t play right now. Hell, I can’t even talk to you. But soon. Soon I will be able to move again. And when that happens, I’m sorry, but I’ll be leaving you two alone for a while. But it’s going to suck more for me than it will for you.

He had a plan, being forced out of his wandering thoughts crystalizing the best option in the lack of so many other choices. Now he simply had to prepare himself mentally. The physical was to come soon enough.

He gradually regained use of his body, first his fingers and toes, the power to move slowly returning to his feet and hands, spreading to his arms and legs.

The whole time, however, his Infala was aching in his chest, calling out for its mate.

He could feel it, their bond solidifying despite her absence.

The bond would be complete any time now, and it would happen while she was in the clutches of the chancellor’s ilk.

When the sun rose, with it came the ability to stand. And as he got blood flowing to his stiff limbs, his body finally began to feel like itself, at least mostly. But this was taking too long, and time was something he did not have.

Fuck it .

He gathered up the lightest of packs, just the essentials, then headed out on unsteady legs, scanning the ground for the little plant he knew grew in certain areas .

“Gotcha,” he said, snatching up every leaf off the Ornax plant and quickly rolling them into a ball, popping it into his mouth and chewing with gritty resolve, the energy boost hitting him like a quintuple espresso on an empty stomach. “Better,” he grumbled. “More.”

He moved faster now, hustling up to the ridge, picking every bit of Ornax he found along the way, shoving it all into his mouth, well aware of the pounding headache he would undoubtedly suffer later.

He’d never had this much. Not even close.

But Maria needed him, and he’d do whatever it took to get to her as fast as possible, no matter the consequences.

“Damn,” he exclaimed as he started to run, his pace speeding up with every step until he was running much faster than he would have ever been able to maintain otherwise.

My legs feel like they’re unstoppable. This is amazing! I don’t think even Adzus and his hunters could keep up with me.

A little twinge hit his stomach, but he ignored it.

He hadn’t eaten, but there was food in his pack.

He’d eat on the fly once he was on easier terrain.

But he knew it wasn’t hunger that was making itself known.

This was just the first hint of the discomfort that he would endure soon enough.

Abdominal distress, pounding headache, and, of course, the muscular aches were all likely effects once the Ornax leaf wore off, though he’d never overdone it before, personally.

He moved up the ridge with astounding agility as he ran. He even bounded over a boulder, scaling the obstacle with the utmost ease, the diversion barely slowing his pace.

Worth it.

He ran and ran, scanning the terrain from his elevated position, searching for any sight of their ship, but trees were frequent and open views few. He wouldn’t likely be able to see them from here, which left him only one option. It just wasn’t the one he’d wanted to use .

Whatever it takes , he told himself as he crested the ridge and began the treacherous descent. Now move faster. Maria is counting on you.

He was damn near sprinting downhill on the very tricky ground, but his Ornax-enhanced limbs were moving faster than ever, his supercharged runes helping him keep upright where anyone else would have fallen. His course had been decided, and with that locked in mind he had just one thing to do.

Run.

Run as hard and fast as he could, all the way to the nearest splinter of civilization. The place he could get a ride, the first step in his plan. He would get his woman back, but it would not be easy.