“What kind of reputation?” Sitting fully, I wrapped the blanket around me like a tent and put my legs into a crisscross to help steady me as the doctor paused with the green wand near my temple. The nausea and headache improved noticeably in the span of a few seconds. I couldn’t stop the sigh of relief when the pain faded completely and my stomach settled.

“Better?” the doctor asked.

“Yes. Thank you.” Wow. I really needed to get one of those green wand things. Maybe Cormac would have one. Surely he would if these Prillons did.

The doctor remained kneeling, keeping himself low enough that I didn’t have to crane my neck to speak to him. Trouble was, I didn’t want to talk to him. I wanted my mate. I wanted clothes. I wanted to feel safe and protected and like I belonged somewhere.

“Where is Cormac? He’s from Styx legion. Do you know where he is?”

The Prillon doctor’s dark eyes narrowed. “How do you know him?”

Oh no. Warden Egara said I had to lie. Scratch that. She’d told me Cormac would be here waiting for me and we would pretend to know each other. No one was supposed to know I was an Interstellar Bride, or the whole spy thing Styx legion was doing for the Intelligence Core would be exposed, and I would put my new mate in danger. So where was he?

“I—”

Before I could finish making up a plausible story, a sliding door opened, and the biggest, scariest bastard I’d ever seen stomped into the room like he was going to kill everyone inside. He was huge, his shoulders at least twice as wide as mine. Legs like tree trunks. He was covered head to toe in some kind of armor in shades of gray and black, and a silver band wrapped around his upper arm on one side. Worse, he was covered in gadgets and weapons I had never seen before. I recognized a large, serrated blade as a dagger, and he had a shiny silver space pistol as well as a huge rifle strapped across his back.

“No weapons in transport. I don’t care what legion you’re from. You know the rules.” The golden Prillon stood between the giant and me, blocking my view. I leaned to the side, peeking around his legs to study the markings the intruder had painted onto his face and neck in a pattern that looked like something I’d once seen in a documentary about Navy SEALs who camouflaged their skin when they were on a mission. Was this terrifying alien on some kind of military operation? And why was my entire body suddenly on high alert, code red, heart pounding, mouth gone dry?