He looked through the scope, then cursed under his breath as he saw what had alarmed her.

“Incas?”

He shook his head. “Boldorians.”

“How do you know?”

“The sheer number of them. Incas travel in smaller groups and they don’t set traps. They’re cowardly raiders.”

“All right… Let me get a closer look. See what I can recon.”

He grabbed her arm as she started away. “I’ll do it.”

She smiled at his offer and patted his arm. “You’re too big to hide, sweetie. You know that. This requires someone who can actually vanish into a shadow… not cast a big one.”

“Sumi…”

She looked back at him expectantly.

Hauk hesitated as he stared into those hazel eyes that seared him. Funny, eight years ago, he’d thought Nykyrian was an idiot for not telling Kiara himself what he wanted her to know. For wasting their time together in silence.

Now he understood. It was hard to let someone that deep into your life. To admit out loud to them that they, alone, held a place inside you where only they could destroy you. And Sumi definitely held his heart and soul in her delicate hands. One harsh look or word from her lips could break him even worse than any enemy assault.

Just say it.

Tell her.

The words choked him. You’re not a coward.

“I’ll be right back.”

Before he could speak, she was gone. Hauk couldn’t breathe as he realized he’d let her go without telling her to be safe. And every minute that ticked by was sheer torture for him as he imagined all manner of atrocities befalling her.

Please come back.

If anyone harmed her, he would tear them apart and relish doing it. No one better lay a single finger on her body. They better not even cast an evil glare in her direction.

Desperate pain swelled inside him as his mind tortured him with horrid possibilities. The Andarion in him wanted to storm the complex right now, and burn it to the ground.

But the saner part of himself knew that if he did that, the Boldorians would kill every being he loved in that building before he got through the door.

She’s a trained assassin, not a civ. Give her time for recon.

That was a lot easier said than done. He hated not having an earwig to stay in touch with her. To not know what was going on.

Screw this shit…

He was just about to go in anyway when he felt a hand on his leg. Rolling, he intended to cut his attacker’s throat.

Until he looked into a pair of loving hazel eyes. He grabbed her into his arms and held her tight against him.

“Can’t. Breathe.”

He loosened his hold. A little.