“Run to the outcrop and hide. I will catch up to you.”
“I can’t leave you here alone.” Grace crossed her arms over her chest.
Partlan had no intention of wasting time arguing. “If you are captured, then all is lost.”
“I can help.”
Partlan climbed back on the ATV He handed her two bottles of water and a backpack from the storage. “Getting to safety is the best thing you can do to help me.”
A muscle tightened in her jaw. “What happens if you don’t come back?”
“Follow Eogan’s directions and get to the airport.”
Grace glanced over her shoulder. “That’s not what I mean. How am I supposed to go on if you’re dead?”
The steady beat of Partlan’s heart stuttered to a stop. He inhaled a sharp breath. “I will come back to you.”
“Men say that, but they never mean it.” Grace’s voice was low. “You’ll leave like the rest.”
“I will never leave you, not even in death.” Partlan gazed into her deep blue eyes. “You are as necessary to me as breathing. I will always be with you.”
“Promise.” A tremor ran through Grace’s voice.
“Yes. I have every intention of returning to you alive. I need to set up a decoy position so that we can escape.”
Grace held his gaze for a second and then nodded. “I’ll meet you at the outcrop.”
Partlan watched her run in the direction of the rock before turning back to the vehicle. He forced himself to focus on the task at hand. He needed to lead their pursuers in his direction. That was the only way he would be able to keep Grace safe.
He spun the tires of the ATV and kicked up enough dust so that there would be no mistaking where the vehicle was. When the plume had encompassed him, he let the vehicle lurch forward. He twisted the throttle and sent it speeding in a westerly direction.
He drove until he was certain the men from the compound were following. Then he stopped. He set the emergency brake and wrapped the rope around the thumb throttle and tied a tight knot. The engine revved at full speed and when he released the brake, it sped off on its own. Ahead, were miles of uninterrupted desert. The vehicle should continue its journey unhampered.
Partlan backtracked toward Grace.
The ground was hard packed and he made certain he left no footprints. He ran at top speed. For the first time since landing on this planet, he was thankful for his improved speed. He needed to be with Grace. Her words showed that she wanted him near also. It gave his feet wings.
When the outcrop was within sight, his ears picked up the almost silent turning of a rotor blade. He scanned the horizon and saw a sleek black helicopter coming toward him. If they found him so close to the outcropping, then they’d find Grace too. He sent out a mind connection and a wave of urgency to Grace to stay hidden.
He turned away and headed toward a group of low growing scrub trees. It would be difficult for thermal imaging to see him, and he would be hidden from the human eye. He sent a message to Ardal with their location and plans. If he did not survive, Grace needed protection.
He reached the trees just as the helicopter hovered above the rock outcropping.
His breath caught and he sent out another message for Grace to stay hidden. He was too far away to stop them. All he could do was come into the open and force them to capture him instead. He readied himself to jump out when the helicopter dipped lower, throwing up red sand and dust into the air.
The pilot was going in for a closer look.
Chapter 17
He wasn’t coming.
What if they had caught him?
Grace slid farther under the stone outcrop until she was at the end of the small cave-like cubby hole. It was barely large enough to hold her body and she had to pull her legs up close to her chest to fit properly. There was a stream of light coming in from the opening and that was the only thing that was keeping her from panicking.
Her body shook with reaction to the horror that she had just escaped. She couldn’t bare for them to capture her again. Partlan said that he would protect her, but if they found her in this hole, there would only one thing that would keep her safe.
Death.
She couldn’t face going back into the torture chamber she’d just left. It was bad enough that such a place existed on earth, but to think that there were alien creatures who were doing the experiments was beyond what any reasonable person could accept. If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn’t believe it.
The whirring of a helicopter blade grew louder. That could mean only one thing. They were getting close enough to land the thing. Once that happened, they would find her. She pulled out her pistol and checked that it was loaded. She counted ten bullets. That meant she had nine shots. She would not be taken alive.
She cocked the pistol and pointed to the entrance. Anyone who came through the opening would be shot dead before their eyes had a chance to adjust to the darkness. She inhaled a deep breath and steadied her hand. There was no room for mistakes.
The noise of the blades grew louder.
Her eyes narrowed as she honed her aim.
Suddenly, a loud explosion shook the earth. She put a hand out to steady herself and looked up at the rock ceiling of her hideout. There was a creaking noise, but no movement. It held in place. The helicopter’s engines revved loud and then the noise of the blades was diminishing. The aircraft was moving away. She let out the breath she’d been holding and put her gun down with a shaky hand. She’d been in danger before, but never had she thought about taking her own life.
This was not a normal day at the office.
Nothing was normal since she’d met Partlan.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the sleeve of her jacket. The man was larger than life and had turned her existence upside down. She’d had everything arranged. Her career with the FBI was on track and she was up for promotion to supervisor. All she had to do was solve the Walters kidnapping case and the promotion was hers.
Her ears pricked up at the faint sound of movement outside. There was a scuffling noise and then it stopped. She strained to hear more, but the only sound was the crickets. It must have been nerves or an animal. There was no way that Partlan could have returned from dumping the ATV. She eased the gun down beside her just as the shuffling noise returned.
Before she could raise her weapon, someone had landed on top of her.
She struggled to free herself.
“Quiet.” A familiar voice whispered. “They may be able to pick up sounds at this distance.”
“Great.” Grace sagged back against the hard ground. “One more thing to worry about.”
“It will not be a problem.”
“Easy for you to say. I barely heard you coming.” Grace’s voice was a harsh whisper. “What was the loud explosion?”
“Eogan managed a distraction for us.”
“Is it safe for us to leave then?”
“Not until nightfall.” Partlan edged in closer. “They have two different directions to follow.”
“They’ll think we’ve split up.”
“That is what I would assume.” Partlan took the gun from her. “Did you not hear my mind connection?”
She shook her head. “I was too focused on the explosion and helicopter.”
“I tried to warn you.”
Grace blew the hair from her eyes. “Everything has gone crazy. Nothing is as it should be.”
“There are no rules in combat.”
“I’m not talking about fighting.” Grace clenched her hands into fists. “It’s the kidnapping, the creatures, and the fact that humans are helping aliens experiment on us.”
“The Albireons are very convincing.”
Partlan’s voice was so calm she wanted to scream at him to show some emotion. Instead, she took a deep breath and let go of all of her anger. Partlan’s logical thinking had got them out of the compound. She needed a clear head if she was going to help him figure out h
ow to escape this new predicament.
“I will find a way.” Partlan’s words interrupted her thoughts.
“How did you know what I was thinking?”
“You forget our connection.” Partlan’s tone was patient. “I heard you call for me when the Albireons were going to hurt you. That is how I found you.”
“It still seems impossible.”
“Outside of the connection between our fellow Hunters, the pair bond is the most intense. If they mate, that will increase their ability to understand and hear each other’s thoughts.”
“You mean there’s a choice.” Grace leaned her head back against the rock. “I thought you just randomly picked someone out of a crowd to be your mate.”
“We were chosen to be bonded. There is no understanding why we connect with one woman and not another. I have been near many women since coming to Earth and you are the only one I bonded with.”
“That makes me lucky I suppose.” Grace heaved a sigh. “Ever since you showed up in Beverly Hills, my life has been nuts.”
“For me, it is the opposite.” Partlan lowered his voice. “Everything has suddenly made sense. I see beauty all around me and that is because I have bonded with you. You have given my life purpose.”
A twinge of joy pinched at her heart, but she refused to give in. If she really was Partlan’s pair bond, she needed to be certain that he wouldn’t betray her and leave. So far he’d been a man of his word, but years of being abandoned couldn’t be forgotten. She was attracted to Partlan, she even believed there was a connection, but she didn’t know how far she wanted to take their relationship.
“In time, you will see that I am a man of honor. All Hunters are.”
“You’re reading my thoughts again.” A shiver went through her.
“No.” Partlan gathered her close. “Our connection means that I feel what you do. Right now I sense your uncertainty. Nothing, you or anyone does, will break our bond. I am completely committed to you. You are the only woman I could ever mate with.”
Grace snuggled closer to him and inhaled his scent. Peace and comfort settled within her. “It’s so hard to believe you haven’t mated with anyone else.”
“It was forbidden.” Partlan stroked a hand down her back. “I was bred to obey.”
“So, I would be your first mate.”
“My only mate.” Partlan’s voice was a gentle rebuke. “There will never be anyone but you.”
Grace eased herself closer to Partlan. There was something in the tone of his voice that told her he was telling the truth. Words failed her as she thought of the gorgeous man who was holding her close. Women would fall over themselves to be in her position. How could she continue to deny her feelings, especially when he had done so much to protect her? She yawned and then covered her mouth.
“I believe you, but it’s difficult to accept.” Grace ran a shaky hand over his chest. “Men leave me. My father, and then my fiancé. That was the worst. He left me at the altar and I vowed that day to never let myself trust another man. I threw myself into my career and never looked back.”
“I vowed to follow the Sacred Code.” Partlan was close enough that she could feel his breath against her cheek. “I would never force you. If you have no wish for a mate, then I will honor your decision. We will always be connected, though.”
“Can’t you find someone else?” Grace’s voice held a note of disbelief.
“For me, there will only be you.” Partlan cleared his throat. “If you decide to mate with another man, I will still be bonded to you.”
“How could you accept that?”
“A woman makes the decisions. We obey her wishes.”
“That’s how it was on your planet?” Grace faltered on the word planet. It was still too new for her to be comfortable with Partlan being an alien.
“It was until the civil war, and the Holman defeated the Kaladin.”
“And ordered Hunters executed.” Grace’s eyes started to droop and she fought the urge to yawn.
Partlan tucked her head under his chin. “You are tired and should sleep. I will keep watch.”
“That’s not fair. I can help.”
“You need to be ready for our journey this evening.” Partlan rubbed his chin over the top of her head. “I am trained to be on guard at all times. It is best you sleep.”
Grace yawned. “I shouldn’t be so tired. I can’t even think straight.”
“It is a reaction to your harrowing experience and the sedation drugs you were given. Sleep.”
Grace fought to keep her eyes open, but it was pointless. No sooner had she opened one, when the other shut. She drifted off into a deep sleep. No dreams disturbed her until she was awoken by the gentle shake of her shoulder. She stretched her arms above her head and rubbed her eyes.
“What?”
“It is time to leave.”
Chapter 18
The night air was cool. Grace rubbed her arms and ran to keep pace with Partlan. They’d been walking for what seemed like hours and her feet hurt. He moved with apparent ease through the rough desert terrain. It was almost as if he could see in the dark. She frowned. Was this something else he hadn’t mentioned?
“Can you see at night?”
“Of course.” Partlan stopped and she ran into his back. “Do you have night blindness?”
“There’s no moon.” Grace took several fast breaths. “Everything is an inky black which makes it difficult to see.”
“Our vision is improved on your planet.”
“Why not? You do everything else better.” Grace’s voice was a disgruntled mumble. The man was perfect.
“You are tired. We will rest soon.”
Grace shook her head and walked ahead. Partlan touched her arm. A spark of awareness flew through her and settled in her inner core. She inhaled a sharp breath as intense desire vibrated within her. A stillness settled between them and she waited for Partlan’s reaction.
“Our bond is getting stronger.” His spoke in a hoarse whisper.
“You felt it too.” Grace’s voice trembled. She wasn’t a stranger to passion, but this was more than a physical attraction. She sensed Partlan on a spiritual and mental level. They were one.
“It is a powerful connection.” He took her hand. “I will not fail to get you to safety.”
The sun was hovering on the horizon when they finally stopped. They had reached a road. It was paved and Partlan let her stop to rest. He scanned the area and then led her north of the road and farther into the desert terrain.
“Can’t we stay on the highway?” Exhaustion was making Grace’s steps less steady.
“It will be watched.” Partlan’s voice was low. “We will keep it within sight as we travel to the town.”
“Do you have a plan?”
Partlan headed toward another rocky outcrop. It was a small cave-like cavern with low growing grass and a couple of short scraggly trees covering the entrance.
“Help will be waiting for us at the airport.”
“Eogan?”
“No.” Partlan crouched down in front of the cave entrance. “I have contacted Ardal. A team of Hunters is on its way to help.”
Grace frowned. “Is that wise? What if the people at the facility capture them too?”
“They will take precautions.”
Grace took a sip of water and handed it to him. “You can mind connect over the ocean or was there someone in Australia.”
He put the bottle in the backpack. “Distance is not a problem. It is a secret that only Hunters know.”
“Should you be telling me?” Telepathic communication would make a military unit more effective. It would be information that anyone trying to capture the alien warriors would want to know.
“You are my pair bond. As our connection gets stronger, our ability to mind connect improves also.”
“Do I have a choice?” Grace leaned forward with her arms between her legs. “What if I don’t want you roaming about in my head?”
“That’s why you were always one step ahead of me in finding the boys’ kidnappers.” Grace got down on her knees and pushed into the cool dark cave. “I never stood a chance against you.”
“That is not true.” Partlan eased in beside her. “Your background information led us to the perpetrators. From there, it was easy to find the boys.”
“Easy?” Grace didn’t bother to hide her surprise. “That child trafficking ring had been in existence for years without anyone finding out about them. You and your men found them in a couple of days.”
“That is what we are trained to do.” Partlan pulled a blanket out of the backpack they had retrieved from the ATV the day before.
Grace pushed her back against the cold stone. The cave was double the size of the one they had spent the previous day in. It was luxurious by comparison, with a dirt floor that would make sleeping comfortable.
“So you traveled the universe saving kidnap victims? Is there really that much crime in space?”
“We right wrongs, wherever and whatever they might be.” Partlan stretched out the long length of his body beside her. “We have never had to deal with a trafficking ring before. On Cygnus such a crime does not exist.”
“Only humans are capable of such an atrocity.” Grace’s tone was dry. After ten years in the FBI, nothing surprised her anymore.
“That is not true.” Partlan gathered her close and spread the blanket over them. “Look at what the Albireons were about to do to you.”
Grace shuddered at the memory. “I won’t go back there. Promise you will kill me before you let them capture me.”
Partlan’s breath stilled for a second. “It will not come to that. I will die defending you.”
Grace stretched out the kinks in her legs. “I have ten bullets in my gun. I only plan on using nine. The last one I’m saving.”
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