Page 44 of Rogue Enforcer

I expected her to argue. This was Abby, after all. Instead, she rested her hand just above the wound, as if touching me brought her comfort.

“Okay.”

Minutes seemed like hours as I listened to the sounds of the fighting coming to an end. Ruk’s raging occurred less and less often. I heard voices speaking to one another rather than the chaos and noise of battle.

Ruk and Stryck of the thumping fists appeared next to one another at the entrance.

“Everything all right in here?” Ruk asked.

“Yes. Is it over?”

“For now,” the big Atlan beast responded.

“Did we lose anyone?”

The Atlan snorted at me as if that was a stupid question. Perhaps it was, but I didn’t have time to think any more of it because my mate cried out. I turned in time to catch her as she leaped into my arms. She trembled but didn’t speak. Expecting a massive explosion of tears, I didn’t know what to do with this quiet, shivering female, had no idea how to comfort her.

“Abby?”

“Just don’t let go.”

“Never.” I lifted her into my arms and told her to hide her face in my neck as I walked past the ground covered in blood, body parts and pieces of the dead Hive and their strange creatures. There had been many more than the few I had seen. Many, many more.

The Atlans were moving in and out of the Hive ship. I did not know what they were doing, but they appeared to know how to operate the small transport. Good. Perhaps we could get the fuck off this rock.

I needed to get my mate home to Rogue 5. Safe. Far, far away from the Hive, the Coalition Fleet and this war.

My mate would not suffer this terror again.

* * *

Abby

Cormac’s arms were the only two things keeping me from breaking into a million pieces and sobbing until I had no tears left. I’d never been that scared in my life.

Cormac was amazing. Strong. Devoted. Sexy. Kind. Everything I could want in a mate. I was head-over-heels in love with him. Gone. I wanted to be with him forever.

Outer space, however, sucked. Sucked great big, fat, hairy balls.

The Atlans were preparing the Hive ship for takeoff. Cormac probably assumed we would all be going to the same place. But I’d made a promise, and I intended to keep it as Enzo and the Atlans had kept theirs.

Cormac was alive. That had been my condition. No matter what happened, they had to keep him alive. I didn’t see the fight. I had no idea what had happened. Cormac was holding me. Right now that was the only thing I cared about.

“Thank you.” I lifted my free arm—the other was locked between his body and my side—and wrapped it around his neck. “You saved my life.”

“You are mine, Abby. I will always protect you. Always come for you.”

It wasn’t exactlyI love you,but I’d take it. For now.

Cormac’s arms had pretty much stopped bleeding where one of those things had clawed him to shreds. Now there were fresh red wet spots staggered her and there. “Do the Hive have those green wand things?”

“I have one stored in my suit.”

“What?” I slapped my hand against his chest. “You put me down right now. Are you kidding me?”

Cormac kept walking toward the Hive ship.

“No. Put. Me. Down.”

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