Perhaps not, which was why I’d agreed to fold my body into this cramped seat in this small contraption she called a car. I smelled blood, old blood, but the scent was familiar. “There is blood in this vehicle, but it does not belong to my mate.”
She shook her head. “Which way?”
I closed my eyes for a moment and pointed to the bend in the road that took us to the left. She went where I pointed and I drew the scent of the blood deeper into my senses.
“The blood is familiar.” My Hunter senses refused to let the matter pass.
“That was months ago, and I cleaned it with bleach twice.”
“I recommend you clean it again if you wish to erase all traces. The scent remains.”
The warden grinned. “You really are a Hunter, aren’t you?”
“Of course.” We passed a small side road and I pointed again. “Turn. Now.”
She slammed on the brakes and I braced my arms on the small dash as two of the wheels left the ground and the other two squealed. When the car landed safely, she finally answered my question.
“That blood belongs to Jessica. She was injured by a Hive Scout team right before Nial found her.”
“The Prime’s mate?”
“Yes.”
“The Hive Scout team was here? On Earth?”
“Yes.”
“Drive faster. We are close.” I could feel Lindsey now, practically taste her skin, hear her heart beating. The link between us flared back to life and my palm ignited with welcome heat, a raging inferno of pulsing fire that made my entire body sing with need. My mate was close, and upset. Afraid. As I drew nearer, my instincts reached for her, for the mental connection that came in dream sharing.
I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew she was afraid.
Warden Egara came to a stop at a four direction intersection and looked at me. “Which way?”
Lindsey was so close now that her presence drowned out everything but the need to get to her.
I opened the car door and hit the ground running, my speed making me a blur. There was a building ahead with a row of closed doors. Cars were parked in front of each door and I knew my mate was here, somewhere.
I stopped in the center of the parking area and closed my eyes, listening for her heartbeat, her voice.
“Don’t cry, Mommy.” My heart skipped a beat as I heard the voice of my son for the first time.
“Don’t worry. Everything’s all right.” Lindsey, my brave mate. She was scared, I could hear the wobble in her voice, but she was trying to reassure him.
Her next words chilled me to the bone.
“If I were you, I’d put the gun down.”
“And why is that?” The man’s voice was deep and calm. Arrogant.
He would die.
“So my mate doesn’t kill you.”
Lindsey tried to save him, but it was too late. He’d threatened my mate and my son. I had no idea what this place was, but it was not her home. That I knew for certain as others rustled and moved in the spaces behind the adjoining doors.
Silent as a shadow I moved to the door and listened.
Five heartbeats. Five different breathing patterns. The boy’s racing pulse was almost birdlike. I could distinguish the sound of four smaller bodies, smell the sweet scents of three females, one of them my mate.
But the other? Metal and male aggression. Battle had a scent, and this man was drenched in the desire to hurt, intimidate, perhaps even kill.
I waited, listening as he ordered them to gather their belongings and go to the door.
A woman I did not recognize came out of the room first. She was young, similar in age to my Lindsey, her hair was a dark, vibrant red, her clothing similar to what Warden Egara wore, but green.
The doctor who’d betrayed the program. This must be her. She’d been the one to implant Lindsey with the NPU and sneak her into the transport room.
I remained silent and still, waiting in the dark space where light from the closest two lamps failed to reach.
An older woman exited next, and from her looks and the way she moved I knew this was Lindsey’s mother.
My mate appeared in the doorway, the coward behind her had moved in front of the glass window.
The moment she passed through the threshold with Wyatt and I knew a stray shot from the man’s weapon wouldn’t strike her, I leapt.
Glass shattered in an explosion as I lifted my armored elbows up to protect my face and propelled myself through the barrier to leap on the man who’d dared threaten my mate.
His neck cracked in my hands half a second later, the sound one I wished to hear a thousand times over. He slumped to the ground, the weapon he’d used to threaten the woman I loved dropped to the floor with a soft thud. Broken shards of glass slipped from my armor like water from stone and fell to the floor with hundreds of small tinkling sounds I doubted anyone but I could hear.