Lying in the dark with my mate curled up next to me, trusting me to guard her, to give her what she needed, icy dread filled me, made my bones ache. I had never felt so vulnerable in my life. Abby was part of me now, a small, defenseless, desirable female who was mine to protect, to care for. I had no idea what a female might need outside the bedroom. None. The only female I spoke to regularly was Blade’s sister, Silver, and she was an Enforcer as well. A killer like me. There was nothing soft about her.

Worse, there was no true safety for Abby here on the station. Styx security protected this room, but the alarms would only alert me to an attack, not help me defend this small, innocent female. My Abby. And she was mine. Even now, my cock hardened at the thought of filling her again, waking her with a kiss, sliding into her wet heat. I wanted more.

I needed more. I couldn’t go back to the solitary existence I’d had before. Didn’t want to. I didn’t want to keep fighting unless I had her to come home to.

The effects of my bite, my protection, were already showing. Her skin glowed with health. My scent marked every part of her as I was inside her now, in her blood, in her cells. My essence would keep her healthy, help her live longer, heal faster. She was mine. And I was alone out here. No one else from Styx legion was currently on the station, at least none I was aware of. If we’d had people here, I would have known. I didn’t think to bring more fighters with me because I’d never needed them before. I hunted alone.

Hunting to kill and protecting someone else were two very different things.

Fuck.

I had to take her back to Rogue 5 immediately. There I would have the other Enforcers and mean as hell fighters to watch her back. To look out for her. To protect her. I wouldn’t sleep easy until she was surrounded by my legion, in the heart of our territory where nothing and no one could reach her.