Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

Q 'tar cursed again as Julie's breath hitched and fear clouded her scent, sharp and acrid. His protective instincts roared to life. He'd failed to keep those males from touching her earlier. It wouldn't happen again.

He dressed quickly, layering on his weapons as she watched silently. The familiar weight of his gear settled around him like a second skin.

"Stay inside the cabin," he ordered, his voice pitched low and firm. "No matter what you hear."

She nodded, pulling the sheet closer around her bare shoulders. Her lower lip was caught between her teeth, but her chin was lifted as defiantly as ever. The sight stirred something primal in his chest. His mate was afraid but refused to let fear rule her.

"I will protect you, m'shka."

"I know."

He allowed himself one last touch, brushing his fingers across her silken cheek. The contrast between her softness and his hardened exterior struck him once again. But despite their differences, she'd accepted him, welcomed him, trusted him. He would die before letting harm come to her.

He reluctantly released her and left the cabin, slipping silently into the woods with every sense alert. His monitors tracked three heat signatures advancing up the mountain path. The first alarm had triggered two hundred meters out - now they closed to one-fifty.

Only three? Simple enough. But then the wind shifted and he caught their scent. Two of the approaching males weren't human, although he suspected they were disguised as such. The third was human, and rage coursed through his veins.

Had that slistok come for her himself?

He forced himself to move slowly, to use his training to conceal his presence until he could observe them. As he suspected, the males at the front and back were not human, although they were disguised as such. Ratlan, he decided based on their scent. Competent enough fighters but no match for his skills.

The human was in the middle, glancing disdainfully at his surroundings as he stopped to wipe a pristine handkerchief across his brow and frown at his polished shoes.

"Fuck. There's a scratch in the leather. I'm going to make that little bitch polish it with her tongue for making me come after her."

Fury consumed him and he launched himself forward, covering the distance in seconds. The alien guards reached for weapons but they were too late. His fist crushed the first one's throat. The second managed to fire, the bullet grazing his arm before his counter-strike snapped the guard's neck.

He turned to Cliff, who had stumbled back against a tree. The human's face had gone chalk-white, but his lips twisted in a sneer.

"You can't touch me," the male said desperately. "I have information. Important information."

He paused, his hand on his knife. It was true that his government wanted the male alive to gather more intelligence on the smuggling network.

When he hesitated, Cliff's confidence returned and he straightened. "I knew you'd see it my way. But you won't get anything from me until you bring me my wife. We have unfinished business."

The threat to his mate ended his hesitation. He threw the knife, embedding it directly between the male's eyes before his body crumpled to the forest floor. He had no regrets as he stared at the corpse. No one threatened his mate. Intelligence could be gathered in other ways.

He would return and deal with the bodies later, but right now his mate needed to know that she was safe. That the male would never bother her again. He sprinted back to the cabin, his hearts lighter than they had been in years. She was safe. The door flew open before he reached it and she stumbled out onto the porch.

"Q'tar!" Her voice broke on his name.

He caught her as she collapsed against him, her small body shaking with sobs. His arms encircled her, drawing her close as tears soaked into his chest.

"Hush, m'shka. You're safe now. He can never hurt you again."

She lifted her tear-stained face to his, and he gently brushed away her tears with his thumb.

"He's dead?" she asked quietly.

"Yes."

To his relief, she only shuddered and burrowed back into his arms.

"I heard shots. I was so scared you were hurt."

"I'm fine. It's over."

She stretched up and kissed him, her lips soft and yielding. His cock instantly stiffened, remembering the way she had opened to him, soft and sweet and so very hot, surrounding his swollen shaft in a fiery embrace. With the adrenaline from the fight still humming in his veins, his control snapped. He swept her into his arms and carried her to the bed. This time when they made love, there was no fear between them, no shadows lurking. Just the pure connection of two souls finding their match.

A long time later he slipped quietly out of bed and walked out onto the front porch. Pulling out his communicator, he called Cerberus, the head of Spartan Security. He wasn't sure what time it would be in Montana but he'd never yet called without receiving an immediate response.

"Report," Cerberus barked as soon as he answered, his voice brisk and awake.

"The job is complete. The… subject is safe."

"I see. Does that mean you will be leaving us?"

"Yes. I will not be taking any more assignments."

"I understood you said that once before," Cerberus said dryly.

"I did. But this time I know I will not get restless."

A snort of what sounded suspiciously like laughter erupted.

"Very well. You will inform your previous employer?"

That surprised him - or perhaps it didn't. Cerberus was intelligent enough to realize that his government had had a reason to offer his services.

"They already know. My last assignment is complete."

Or at least it was for him. He had no doubt they would continue to pursue it, but they would do it without him.

"Then this is farewell. If you change your-"

"I won't," he said firmly.

Another snort and then the line went dead.

He took a deep breath of the cool autumn air and looked around at the peaceful clearing. No trace of the earlier violence remained. He would need to make a plan, to decide on the best way to assimilate himself into the human community, but that could wait. Right now all that mattered was that his mate would be waking soon.

He smiled as he returned to the cabin. No more missions. No more hunting. His life belonged with Julie now. His mate. His future. He'd found peace at last.