A nervous hush lingered after Styx finished shouting his speech. He led the rest of our team away, taking the now empty cargo crate with him. I, however, walked around the bodies one last time inspecting my work. Satisfied, I glanced up to find a male from Siren legion staring at me. “Do you know who I am, Siren?”

“Yes.”

“What is my name?”

“Cormac.”

I nodded my head. “You tell that bitch you call a leader if she fucks with Styx again, I am coming for her head.”

He swallowed slowly and nodded his head. Satisfied my message would be delivered, if not by him than by one of the dozens of others standing around gawking, I walked away.

I was done. Abby was safe. Styx would figure out what to do about the rest. I was a weapon, not the leader of our people. I needed everyone on this moon to fear me, all but one.

Abby.

I buried the pain rising to choke me as I caught up to the others. We returned to Styx territory to find the feast still going. The others picked up their pace. When I lingered, Styx dropped back to speak with me.

“What are you doing?”

“I cannot allow Abby to see me like this.”

“It is who you are.”

“She will reject me, brother. She told me not to do this, not to kill, and I walked away from her.”

My brother slapped me on the back, then wiped his blood covered hand on his armored thigh. “She is yours, Cormac. Trust in that.”

He left me alone in the corridor, looking in through a window as our people laughed and danced and feasted without a care. My gaze found Abby at once. She was sitting at a table across from Harper. Their hands touched on top of the table and they looked to be deep in conversation. Seated around them like a security detail were the nine Atlans we had rescued on Latiri 4. Their loyalty to my mate obvious in the way they kept close to her and continued to scan the crowd for imminent threats.

Good. I approved. Although it required nine beasts to replace me.

I saw the moment Harper looked up and caught sight of her mates, Styx and Blade. She jumped to her feet and ran to them, throwing her arms around them and kissing them both in turn as our legion cheered.

The rest of the team was greeted with loud cries of congratulations and slaps on the back.

From my place just outside the window, my gaze drifted back to Abby. She rose slowly, a look of confusion on her face. She scanned the team, looking for something.

Looking for me.