“Do not touch her.”
Helion lifted his hands to the sides, palms out in surrender. “So, I finally witness the famous Arcas rage.”
The growl that came from my throat was more animal than male. Years of taunts and sideways glances pushed at my control. My entire life I’d been treated this way, as a bomb on the verge of exploding. Unstable. Lacking control. Without honor. Never to be trusted around a female. The accumulation of insults and accusations festered in my gut like rotten meat.
This was why I avoided other Prillons. Why I had volunteered to serve in the Coalition Fleet the moment I’d been old enough. I couldn’t accept the arrogant disdain of the other Prillons and all because of a male who’d been dead for several hundred years.
“If I were truly angry, you would be dead.”
“Calm down. I would never hurt a female.”
I relaxed my hold on his throat but did not set him down. “Do not touch her again. She is mine. I will kill you. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, yes. You’re worse than an Atlan beast.”
That comment earned him another growl.
“Commander Arcas, please. I did not intend to cause your mate harm, only to ease her suffering.”
“It’s her choice. Leave her alone.” Varin stood at my shoulder, as he always had, and stared up at the doctor as well. “I’ve heard about you, Helion. And none of it was good.”
Doctor Helion had no expression on his face as I slowly lowered his feet to the floor. Part of me hoped he would make a move to strike at me, give me an excuse to rip him into pieces. Unfortunately, his control was irrefutable, his face like stone. “If all we’re going to do is snarl at one another, I suggest we meet up with my team and get moving. We’ve tracked the signal affecting you two and your mate. Unfortunately, the signal is moving.”
“Seems to be coming from a ship,” Doctor Surnen muttered.
“Perhaps.” Helion answered him. “We don’t know how long we’ll have until the Nexus unit realizes he has a mental connection to Danika. And there is no doubt, there is a connection.”
Danika’s body shivered, her reluctant agreement coming through the collars. She thought Helion was right. Which meant my mate was linked to the most dangerous creature to exist.
Rachel stood. “What happens if the Nexus does figure it out?”
Helion looked at Danika when he answered. “The Hive could block the signal so we lose our ability to track their location. As far as Danika, I do not know.”
“I do,” Danika said.
Varin moved to our mate and pulled her close. Immediately I felt her relief at the offer of comfort. His compulsion to care for her driving him as it drove me. We were both gone over our female. Lost.
Helion, however, had no interest mates or offering comfort. “What are you not telling me, female?”
“It’s just a feeling, like he wants me to come to him.”