Holy crap, outer space was crazy. And I’d been away from Earth for less than a week.
Cormac placed his hand on my lower back. “Let’s go, Abby.”
I was still looking at Enzu. “I don’t like leaving them.”
Enzu’s voice was gentle. “It is all right, Abby. We understand. The safety of a mate must always come first. We have spent countless weeks here. We can survive a couple more days.”
I shook my head as I walked away. Cormac followed, placing himself between Ruk and me. On the way up in the elevator, Cormac pressed me to the side of the wall, his body squared off with our new friend. I couldn’t see anything except Cormac’s back, but that was fine by me.
“Helmet on, Abby.”
“What about Ruk?” I slipped the stuffy helmet back over my head and listened to the sound of it sealing me in, the faint hiss of air. Cormac put his helmet on as well.
“Do not worry about me. I am tougher than I look.”
Good god, I hoped not.
The elevator doors opened, and the sound of blaring alarms was so loud it hurt my ears. Cormac pressed me to the wall, trapping me in place behind his bulk.
“What the fuck?” He turned around and placed his hand just below my neck. “You stay here, Abby.” Cormac moved to step out of the elevator, but Ruk placed his hand on Cormac’s shoulder and held him back.
“No. I will go. Stay here. Protect your mate.” Long claws slid out from the tips of his fingers, the sickening sound of tearing flesh nearly making me gag. I blinked, and he was gone.
12
Cormac
Stay behind. Protect my mate. I hated every word. Gods be damned; I knew Ruk was right. My first duty was to Abby. I would have offered him one of my rifles, but I knew he would have laughed at me, that low, rolling laugh that had always reminded me of wild things and thick forest. Many of the people on Rogue 5 had forgotten our ancestors, at least the Hyperion half. The savage half.
The stronger half.
Trying to use one of my weapons would only slow him down.
He could move even faster than an Elite Hunter from Everis when in a fight. I’d seen it many times during my visits to Hyperion. It was the reason he was the heir to his clan’s chieftain and the reason he had his choice of sex partners among their females. He rarely turned down any female’s invitation, yet he had not chosen a mate.
Although, judging by the way he had taken an instant liking to my Abby, Ruk’s unmated status might soon be coming to an end. Although if my friend wanted a female from Earth, he was going to have to figure out how to get there. It was rare for anyone from Rogue 5 to mate a human. But a Hyperion? As far as I knew, Ruk was the first full-blooded Hyperion ever to leave the planet.
A horrendous roar came from the direction of the control room Abby and I had been in earlier.
Fuck. That was Ruk, and he was in full battle mode.
I hit the elevator button and stepped outside, both blasters out and ready.
“Cormac!” Abby shouted from behind me as the doors began to slide closed.
“Go below. I will come for you when it’s safe.” I twisted to face her and tapped the side of my helmet to prevent her protest. “You will be able to hear me, mate. Now go!”
The door closed completely. Abby was safely out of harm’s way.
I ran toward the sounds of fighting, eager to find out what the fuck was going on. I hoped our attackers were Siren scum and not Hive. I’d faced off with the Coalition’s enemy before and had no desire to do so again. Killing what had once been an honorable warrior seemed wrong somehow.
Killing an asshole was much easier.
Not that it mattered. I would kill a king to keep Abby safe.
Reaching the control room, I slid to a stop.
Fuck.