“Surnen,” Mikki said. “I’m fine. We’ll figure this out. If you’d stop shouting, we could—”
“Do not diminish this,” I yelled back. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I can’t. I won’t survive. Rules are instituted for a reason. Strict regulations and protocols ensure issues are analyzed and risk assessed. They were supposed to keep you safe, but they haven’t.”
“I’m not at risk, Surnen,” she countered. “And don’t you dare say the match was based on protocol and regulations.”
The transport room door slid open, and I jumped all the steps to the raised platform to stand beside Maxim, Trax and three more warriors carrying equipment. The hum and vibration of imminent transport was loud in the room, heavy beneath my boots.
“Now!” I shouted, looking to the tech. Why hadn’t we left yet?
“Helmet,” he replied, and Trax handed me mine. The others already had theirs locked into place. I twisted mine into place and nodded the moment the lock clicked.
From one blink to the next, we were on Valuri. My body ached, the twist of transport stabbing in my skull, but I only blinked and ignored it, took in the initial crew around me. I spun about, my feet now in soft sand, and looked out at the ocean. It looked peaceful. Calm. Tranquil. It was a different color than the images I’d seen of Mikki’s water on Earth, but the reddish hue was appealing, nonetheless.
Yet beneath the surface…
“Where is she?”
Everyone pointed in the same direction, just to the right of where we stood.
I started toward her, running made difficult in the soft sand, but Trax grabbed my arm, stopped me with a strong yank. “You can’t just rush into the water.”
“Watch me,” I snarled, trying to shrug off his hold.
“Surnen,” he said, gripping my shoulder. “An actionable plan is being put in place.”
I shook my head. “Actionable? No. We don’t wait. We go now. I won’t let this happen again. This can’t happen again.” Shrugging off his hold, I moved toward the water only to be stopped by Trax’s arm around my waist.
“Stop.”
“I can’t. I can’t lose her. I can’t go through this again.” I shoved him away and ran.
He followed me, frowned. “What are you talking about? Again?”
“My mother,” I breathed. “I won’t let Mikki die, too.” I couldn’t breathe. The suit was too hot. Too close. Too tight. Fuck!
I ripped the helmet off my head and threw it to the sand. “Mikki!” The water was around my ankles when Trax tackled me.
“Put your gods-damned helmet back on.”
“I can’t breathe.” I rolled him off me and waded deeper into the water, shouting for my mate. She was out there. Dying.
“Giram!” Maxim yelled something at the Atlan, but they were behind me. Mikki, my Mikki, was in front of me. Dying. Leaving me alone.
“Surnen, stop. That’s an order.” Maxim yelled the command, but I was deaf to anything but the pounding in my chest, in my head. She was going to die because I hadn’t stopped her. Because I let her go on this mission. Because I didn’t follow protocol.
Mikki wasn’t approved for this kind of work. She should never have been transported here. Never.
I’d failed her. Just like my fathers had failed my mother.
“Mikki!”
My ribs felt like they were collapsing, squeezing me until my heart could no longer beat, my lungs unable to fill with air. My vision blurred with tears as I fought to hold on to hope, knowing I was going to lose her just like I’d lost everyone else.
I’d be alone again. I didn’t want to live without her. I couldn’t go back.
I walked deeper into the water, the waves lapped against to my chest. “Mikki!”
“You’re a fucking idiot, you know that?” Trax appeared as if out of nowhere, and this time he wasn’t alone. Giram had gone beast, the huge bastard’s arms wrapped around me, clamping my arms to my sides.