Stryck did not sit. He knelt on one knee, as Cormac had. And he…shrank. Kind of. His face returned to normal, his body still huge but not Incredible Hulk proportions. He held out his hand, first one, then the other. When the light flickered, he moved them around, pulling away when I tried to lift the wand to a nasty-looking cut on his head. Instead, he inclined his head to me in a small bow. “Thank you, my lady. The rest of my injuries are minor. Others require your attention first.”

Were all aliens this freaking noble and selfless and just…wow. “Okay. Who should I chase down first?”

“Your legs are too short for a hunt. You would catch none of us.”

“It’s a turn of phrase. Never mind. Who’s hurt the worst?”

“The Hyperion.”

16

Abby

“Ruk?” Ruk was hurt? Badly?

I felt Cormac stiffen in alarm and realized I hadn’t seen the big guy since he’d peeked his head in the entrance to ask if we were all right. “Where is he?”

“He is already on board the ship. We carried him to the cargo area and covered him in blankets. He wears no armor, and Latiri 4 is cold.”

“You aren’t wearing armor, either,” I pointed out. In fact, he wasn’t wearing anything except a pair of ripped pants. I wasn’t dead. Nine super-sized, gorgeous men—aliens, don’t forget they are aliens—with more muscles than seemed right or fair? And all on display? At the moment, I had my own professional, nearly naked basketball team. Except bigger. And taller. Some darker skinned. Some light. All magnificent.

And I didn’t want any of them. Not like that. I was a one man kind of girl. My man.

“Okay. Take us to him, please.” I glanced back over my shoulder at Cormac. I was more than willing to help these guys heal, but I was still too rattled by nearly being eaten alive by those scary black scaly dog monsters to let my mate out of my sight. I needed him next to me, or I wouldn’t feel safe. At all. “Will you come with me?”

Cormac snorted as if I had asked the most ridiculous question ever spoken. Even Stryck grinned, a bloody, feral thing on his face. He was so terrifying and so adorable all at once that no words would form in my mouth. These guys were just like the Atlans on Earth. Heartbreakers, every one of them.

Stryck led the way. I followed of my own accord until I stumbled, just a bit, over a rock I hadn’t seen. The next instant Cormac was carrying me again. I was tired and scared and grateful that he was mine.