Chapter 16

Igrowled in annoyance as I glared at my monitor. For the past thirty minutes, I tried in vain to make sense of the data of the blood tests I performed this morning. I needed to quickly confirm the nature of the flu-like outbreak spreading amongst our Yeskas herds. The bovine species constituted one of our main sources of meat. If we didn't promptly eradicate the disease, things would get ugly.

Except I couldn't focus to save my life. My thoughts kept wandering back to my mate. Every time I tried reading the information on my screen, the lines blurred, and Farah's beautiful face floated before me.

By Khivolt, I was obsessed with my wife and falling madly in love with her. And judging by her reactions to me, my woman was also falling in love with me. Although I had known it to be inevitable since Kayog had deemed us soulmates, I still struggled to admit that this was real. Such happiness, such complete harmony felt impossible. I kept fearing this perfect life unfolding before us would suddenly get shattered.

Things were even getting great with my mother. It blew my mind how masterful my Farah had become at handling her. Despite Mother's haughty and prickly demeanor at times, she adored my mate. She always lamented not having a daughter of her own. But now, she fully claimed one. It was all the crazier that Farah did not meet my mother's expectations for a daughter. She always envisioned a battle maiden, well-versed in combat, an adept hunter, and a fierce protector. My female couldn't have been farther from that description. She didn't need to. Her force of character shone bright. And that had been another lesson for my mother. Strength didn't have to come down to one's skills with a weapon or at bashing skulls.

Although she was too old to ever fully change her ways, Mother had come a long way and was still making efforts to be less controlling and demanding. It pleased me tremendously, as I was counting the days before bringing up the topic of a formal Zamorian wedding with Farah. My gut said my woman was ready and willing to proceed. But the wretched insecurities plaguing me kept whispering that maybe I should give her a bit more time before asking her to set a date. While I still had no intention of having a traditional ceremony, I wanted that date to be perfect for Farah and me. And that meant for Mother to be a willing participant, different though it would be.

I groaned again as images of potential ways our ceremony could unfold filled my mind. I really needed to get my head back on the task at hand. The sooner I got it done, the sooner I could indulge in my daydreaming without it being disrupted by guilt.

Taking a deep breath, I refocused on the data before me. Within seconds, a sudden pressure manifested itself behind my eyes. I blinked and shook my head. For half a beat, I thought it faded away, but it returned and quickly grew in intensity. I frowned and rubbed my eyes over my closed eyelids. The pressure not only continued, but blinding white flashes started appearing before me, both with my eyes opened or closed.

I got up from my chair, not sure with what intention, but a wave of dizziness forced me back down onto my seat. White blanketed my vision. The panic blossoming inside me gave way to stupor when Farah's face appeared, floating in the pristine void.

It confused me at first as it faded within seconds, only to reappear. This time, she looked terrified. Hearts pounding, I examined what I could only call a vision as my woman's face continued to fade in and out of existence before my mind's eye. To my shock, a Zamorian male I had never seen before replaced her. There was something off about him. As if his skin was too big for his skeleton. It appeared to melt, like a wax statue under intense heat.

Horror descended over me when it revealed a human face beneath the melting exterior—the face that had been haunting my wife's nightmares.

The vision, illusion, or whatever the fuck this had been vanished, as did the pressure that had heralded it. I sat there in shock and confusion before I felt my blood drain from my face.

Joree?! Did she message me this?

A sense of dread washed over me even as I berated myself for taking so long to realize what could be happening. I whipped out my com to call Farah. It immediately told me there was no signal. My blood turned to ice as I tried again with the same result. Remembering that Farah was spending the day with my mother, I called her instead. No signal either.

I jumped to my feet, relieved to find myself steady, and rushed out of the lab to the reception.

"Dhalgal, try to call Farah and my mother!" I ordered my receptionist. "I think something bad is happening. I'm going to Penlam. If you do not hear back from me in thirty minutes, send the peacekeepers."

"Yes, Krogal," she replied, her eyes round with shock and worry.

Thankfully, she didn't press me with questions—guessing accurately that I didn't have time to waste on that—and immediately reached for the com. I darted into the elevator while calling my brother. As the cabin flew up to the roof, I gave Demar a quick rundown of what was happening. He didn't ask any questions, only confirming he was on his way.

Our father had gone to a neighboring clan for the day and would take far too long to return. Everything in me prayed that I was overreacting and that our females were fine, but my gut told me otherwise. Losing either one of them would break me. Losing both would destroy us.

The ten-minute flight to Penlam from the clinic almost drove me insane. When I finally reached the venue, I almost crashed in my haste to land inside the underground parking. If not for the AI kicking in, I very well might have.

I couldn't decide if I felt more relieved than panicked when I found my mother's shuttle still parked in Farah's reserved spot. Very few other shuttles, a pair of hoverbikes and a handful of hovercars could be seen in the vast space. Although fully leased, the complex was still mostly unoccupied. New tenants were slowly trickling in, and a majority of them only planned to go into full business in the next three months.

Just as I was disembarking, the now familiar pressure behind my eyes returned, and my vision blurred.

"Joree?!Is that you? Where are you?"

Those questions no sooner popped up in my mind than the image of a stone pavement surrounded by grass and a yellow tree flashed before me. Whatever doubts I still had faded. In the two months since she'd been with us, Joree occasionally communicated with me. But as we were always in close proximity, there was none of this unpleasant pressure, and the images were crystal clear to the point I almost felt like I could reach out and touch them. This was weak and blurry. I didn't know if the distance caused it. But a new image showing a trail of blood and her mangled wing answered my unspoken question.

Joree was injured. She crashed somewhere outside, and was communicating what she was seeing: her own damaged wing.

I hated that I could not directly communicate with her. The Nulia could only sense my emotions and interpret their meaning. That didn't stop me from thinking about what I wanted to convey to her and hoped she would get it.

"I'm coming. Is Farah with you? Is she okay?"

I kicked myself for throwing out so many questions at once. But I couldn't help the panicked thoughts flooding in.

Her response was swift and unequivocal. She did not want me to come for her, but for Farah first. Joree did so by showing me her broken wing before it faded to darkness and then flashing urgently an image of my mate lying in a pool of blood.

"NO!" I breathed out in horror.

Having likely realized I understood the priorities—or being too weak to continue communicating with me—Joree disconnected from my mind. With my normal vision returned, I broke into a run towards the lift. My senses immediately went into high alert when I spotted two males I'd never met before—one human and the other Zamorian—standing near the elevators.

A small number of humans and various other species regularly visited Xoccoris. Therefore, his presence in our city wasn't shocking in itself. While I obviously couldn't claim to know every Zamorian on this planet, as a member of the ruling family, I knew or had seen most people in our city and many others from the neighboring clans. I had never laid eyes on this one.

The trouble was that neither of these two should be here in Penlam. This complex was exclusively reserved for our local population. Off-worlders and visiting clans could have business in the Phase One complex, but not here in Phase Three.

More importantly, what were they doing just standing there? Were they loitering or standing watch?

As I approached, both males made a beeline towards me, which had me even more suspicious. I berated myself for not taking a weapon in my haste to get here.

"Hello, friend," the human said in a friendly tone. "My companion and I are a little lost. We're looking to rent, but—"

"I'm sorry," I said in a sharp tone, interrupting him. "I'm in an extreme hurry."

To my dismay, he shifted to block my path when I tried to circle around him. His rather handsome face framed by unruly blond hair took on an offended and disappointed expression. He was respectably tall and fit by human standards. Not bulky and markedly muscular like a bodybuilder, but strong and solid like a bodyguard. His Zamorian companion was on the smaller side. Although his features had the full maturity of an adult, his height and the broadness of his shoulders would have rather belonged to a male in his late teens.

"Hey! It's rude to dismiss someone in need of help," the human said in a patronizing tone. "I just have a couple of questions."

"I said I don't have time," I snapped. "Go to the admin office."

As I tried to push past him, the human took a couple of quick steps back and reached for a blaster tucked in the back of his pants. I lunged at the Zamorian, who tried to corner me from the right, and yanked him in front of me as a meat shield. To my shock, my hands sank into the holographic disguise that made him look taller and bigger than he truly was. By the unexpectedly light weight of the disguised male, I could only assume he was also human.

Without sparing it a second thought, I immediately adjusted to that new situation and charged the blonde man while restraining his companion with my secondary arms. Even if he chose to shoot, his buddy would take the brunt of the damage.

Panicked, he retreated quickly while trying to aim at my face. But I zigzagged in a way that made it impossible.

"Dennis!" The blonde man suddenly shouted, looking at someone behind me.

I glanced over my shoulder to see a third human partially hidden by a parked shuttle, his blaster trained on me. I dove into a roll just as he fired. The disguised man still trapped in my arms shouted in fear when I flowed with the motion to get right back on my feet. I grabbed him by the wrist and, using my momentum, I spun on myself and flung him towards the shooter by the shuttle. Although my blind aim seemed accurate enough, I didn't wait to see if he hit the target. The third male ran out of the path of his companion while I rushed the blonde male.

He tried to shoot me, but I violently slapped his wrist. His pained cry as the weapon fell out of his hand was cut short when I rammed into him. I continued running over a couple more meters while carrying him, then lifted him up before slamming his body onto the hard parking floor. Blood shot out of his mouth, his wet scream of pain accompanied by the delightful sound of bones shattering.

I would have stomped him into a pulp, but a blaster shot grazing my right shoulder forced me to dodge into another roll and run for cover. Luckily, the blonde man's blaster slid in the same direction as the corner wall enclosing the elevator. I grabbed it on my way before slapping my back against the wall. I cursed up a storm as the last man standing prevented me from coming out of cover, shooting every time I tried to make a move. Sadly, I was in a dead end, unable to circle around and sneak up on him from behind.

Only a few seconds lapsed, but time was of the essence. My mate could be dying right now. Thankfully, the solution came rolling in on a hoverbike. Blaster raised, Demar zipped past the shuttle, shooting the human with deadly accuracy.

I ran out of cover just as my brother was jumping off his bike.

"Thank you, Brother," I shouted while calling the lift.

I quickly apprised him of what new images Joree had shared with me. My hearts ached for the little Nulia. I could only pray that she last long enough for us to rescue Farah and then come for her. Under different circumstances, I would have sent Demar to search for her. But if we faced guards here, chances were more of them awaited us upstairs.

I didn't wait for Dhalgal to call the peacekeepers after the thirty-minute timer I had given her. Our little encounter below sufficed to justify them having to send someone over. Demar placed the call just as we reached the fourth floor. I almost went on the offensive when the elevator doors opened on a male standing in front of it. He recoiled at my menacing stance and only relaxed when I did, after recognizing his face. I didn't know his name but had run into him quite a few times before.

"What's going on?" he asked warily at the sight of blood on me.

"Off-worlders are attacking my mate," I growled while exiting the cabin.

"What?! I'll help!" he offered.

"Warn the complex' security guards, and please go check the courtyard by the paved path. I believe you will find my mate's Nulia there, injured," I replied while hastening towards Farah's shop.

"On it!" the male replied before jumping inside the lift.

My hearts pounding, I ran up to the door with Demar hot on my trail. If the soundproofing of these studios had been one of their major selling points, I now resented how they effectively prevented the neighboring studios from hearing whatever drama might be unfolding inside.

Kromor only knew what kind of welcome awaited us within. I doubted the three guards below had a chance to warn Liam—or whoever else might be inside—of our approach. That we still couldn't reach Farah's and my mother's coms implied that they had some kind of disruptor active. I could only hope it also affected their own.

I waved my hand in front of the biometric lock. It recognized me and unlocked the secure door. With much care, I pushed it slightly open. But the loud sounds that immediately reached us had me throwing all caution to the wind.

"Cut that fucking wall open!" Liam shouted at two humans.

They were working diligently with lasers to carve an opening in the wall separating the main room from the dance studio. The studio's door had been all but destroyed as they had visibly attempted to kick it in. However, various heavy objects on the other side had been pushed against it to keep anyone from breaking in. Cutting a new door in an unencumbered area would be much faster. Judging by their progress, they'd been at it for a while and were seconds away from succeeding.

My hearts seized in my chest upon seeing the large amounts of blood staining the wooden floor. The two humans cutting up the wall seemed totally unscathed. Despite Liam having clearly gotten into a savage fist fight, there was too much blood for it to have come from him. This meant my mate, my mother, or both were seriously injured. A smaller trail of splattered blood led to the window which served as access for Joree to come and go as she pleased. The large smear around the frame confirmed that the Nulia as well was hurt.

It only took a few seconds for my brain to register all this information. Blind fury surged through me, and a savage roar tore out of my throat. The humans jerked around in surprise and fear. As one, my brother and I fired at the two men cutting the wall. The one on the right dove to the side. My brother's shot grazed his flank. He cried out and blindly fired back. But Demar quickly put him out of his misery. The one on the left, closer to Liam, instinctively surged forward.

Bad choice.

My shot landed right above his clavicle barely an inch next to his jugular notch. His attempt at firing back went wide as he slapped his left hand on his throat to stem the blood gushing out of the wound. He fired a few more random shots as he gurgled, choking on his own blood. They were not deliberate attacks but triggered by the spasms of death.

Thinking quickly, Liam activated the energy shield from his bracer, raising it in front of him while unloading his weapon on me. I rolled out of the way and took cover behind a chest of drawers near one of Farah's two worktables. While he continued firing at me, he started kicking backward at the cut-up wall with the power and dexterity of a skilled martial artist. I pushed the chest of drawers towards him, still using it as cover. Unfortunately, it only took three brutal kicks from Liam for the wall to cave in.

A few more seconds, and I could have reached him.

Without hesitation, Liam jumped inside the room, still firing at us. I heard my mother cursing menacingly at the intruder. My hearts soared with relief that she still lived. But the absence of any sound from my mate whipped my blood into a frenzy.

Liam dodged as a heavy object I couldn't identify flew past his head. Still rushing forward, I lifted the chest of drawers and threw it with all my strength through the opening at Liam. Still destabilized from trying to avoid whatever my mother had thrown at him, he failed to avoid it. It struck him hard, sending him flying back. He crashed a few meters away onto the floor with a loud thud.

To my surprise, he didn't lay there completely stunned, like most people would have. Instead, using the power of both his legs and arms, he shoved the chest of drawers crushing him back towards me. Under different circumstances, I would have been impressed by his strength and resilience. Farah mentioned he was a seasoned fighter. But a human, no matter how talented, didn't stand a chance against a Zamorian—and even less so against me after you've threatened my loved ones.

He straightened into a half-sitting position and shifted his aim towards my mother.

"Stand down, or I'll shoot her!" he shouted, anger rather than fear filling his voice.

Once more, that commanded a begrudging respect. Under similar circumstances, most people would be wetting themselves, begging for mercy, or pleading for compromise. But that would not spare him from my wrath. He didn't fear because the fool genuinely believed in the righteousness of his endeavor. He believed he had rights over my soulmate.

I would make him rue the day he ever laid eyes on her.

Another projectile from my mother thwarted his threat within seconds. He ducked only to see the chest of drawers flying right back at him as I simultaneously kicked it in his direction. He tried to roll out of its path, but it struck his leg right on the kneecap. His roar of pain sounded like the sweetest music to my ears. By the way his leg bent in the wrong angle, the force of the impact had snapped it.

He never got a chance to raise his blaster at me again as I was already upon him. I kicked the weapon out of his hand before stomping my foot on his left shoulder. The sound of the bones snapping was literally orgasmic. I dropped to my knees in front of him and slammed my primary fist onto the left side of his face. The cheek collapsed, and blood and teeth flew out of his mouth.

"KROGAL, NO!" my mother shouted. "Do not kill him!"

But I wanted blood.

I lifted both my primary hands to beat him into a pulp, but Demar rammed into me, knocking me off Liam. A savage roar escaped me as I threw my brother off me to get back to my prey. He wrestled to restrain me, even knowing he would never be strong enough to succeed.

"Farah is dying!" my mother shouted when I wouldn't relent.

Those words pierced through the feral rage that had taken over me. I'd been so focused on taking out the threat that I barely registered the state of my female. My mother partially sheltering her with her own body had hidden the worst from my line of sight. My bloodlust faded as I crawled towards Farah.

"No! No! No! No!" I whispered when I saw the ashen-gray color that her usually golden-brown skin had taken.

She was covered in blood, and her body was shaken by the occasional spasm. Her skin was clammy, her breathing shallow and rapid. I lifted her eyelid only to find her eyes had rolled to the back of her head. She was likely going into shock from blood loss.

Without a word, I picked her up and ran out. Just as I was exiting the shop, the elevator doors opened, and a peacekeeper unit came rushing out. A single glance at me had their unit leader call for a medic to come at once.

My arms tightened around my mate's unconscious form, excruciating pain lacerating my hearts at the thought help might arrive too late.

"Hang on, my love. Hang on. Help is coming. Please, don't leave me."