Page 190 of The Alpha

“You had footage that showed him leaping across a street! You never told me why!” She spun away, seething. “You will pay for this!”

“Yes, yes, and you’ll see that I’m skinned alive and fed to that monstrous pet of yours. Where is it, hmm? I’ve yet to see it.” He rose from his chair, crossed the room and poured himself another drink. “Now stop fussing and help me recapture him. I take it there are other portals we can use?”

Her eyes narrowed. “He did not escape alone, did he?”

He made a show of looking at the ceiling, just to irritate her. Must be the brandy making him brave. “No. He did not.” He took a generous swig.

“Theyrescued him,” she went on, ignoring the fact he was guzzling the booze at this point. “Cursed Time Masters.”

He dropped the glass, and it shattered on the cement floor. “Time Masters?!”

She turned to him. “Of course, you incompetent fool! How else did you think he escaped? And they took the female too. That’s not good.”

Dr. Charles side-stepped the mess. “Why not?”

She sneered at him. “They will cultivate the bond if there is one. I am running out of time!”

He studied her a moment. He’d not seen her this upset before. “Time for what?”

“This is your fault!” She launched herself at him, tackling him to the floor, pinning him, one scaly hand around his throat.

“I… I don’t…” he choked out. “… know what y-you’re talking about.”

She raised her other arm, letting the loose sleeve fall back to reveal the dreaded weapon she always wore on her forearm. With the flick of her wrist, it whirred to life, and she loosened her hold on his neck. “Talk.”

He swallowed hard. The weapon was alien of course and some sort of laser. It was also pointed right at him. He’d seen what she could do with it, and he’d tried to get his hands on it several times, but to no avail. She’d killed all the men he’d tasked with stealing it and blew up a building besides. “If your people wish to subjugate the Muirarans, then you’re going to have to be a little nicer to me.”

She hissed at him. “Did your men follow? Do you know where he is?!”

“W-we have a good idea. They’re close. Brooklyn. We captured the female there.”

She sat back. She was shorter than he was with a lithe build, yet weighed a ton. “Female,” she spat then bared her teeth. “I want her dead.”

He blinked a few times. “Dead? Oh no. If my guess is right, he fancies her. If I manage to recapture them both, I could have a mated pair…”

“I. Want. Her. DEAD!”

He gulped at the murderous look in her eyes. “Or not.” His eyes darted around the room. There were no weapons nearby, and she still had him pinned. Time to placate the beast. “We could always see how he does if offered another female. Maybe they’ll breed.”

She arched what was left of an eyebrow at him. Hmmm, did she molt or shed her skin like a snake? Lida bent to him, a smile on her face!Uh-oh. “Yes, another female. And I have one in mind.” She smiled wickedly and slapped him across the face.

His head snapped to the side, and he could feel the blood oozing from the wounds her claws left. That was no doubt going to leave a few scars. “Portals…”

“Ah yes, your precious portals. Tell me Dr. Charles. Have you managed to find any more?”

“Yes.” He slowly turned his head to face her. “But as you’re not playing nice, I’m not sure if I should tell you where.”

She bent her face to his. “You like courting death, don’t you?”

“I’ve had three brandies.”

She eyed the decanter on the sideboard and rolled her eyes. “Lucky for you, I need you and your men.” She got up and stepped over him. “We must recapture him.”

“And the female?”

“Capture her too so I can play.” She turned around. “And he can watch.”

Dr. Charles staggered to his feet. “Why do I get the feeling you know this Muiraran? Is he an ambassador of some sort? Have you and your people dealt with him before?” He took a few cautious steps toward her. “Who is he?”

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