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And then his mate rammed a painful elbow into his side. “Oh my God,” she hissed. “That’s him. Look, it’s T’Antor!”
Heriot turned around quickly.
T’Antor passed by at a distance, walking with another group to a different location in the main building. Heriot made eye contact with his target. The asshole lifted his hand and placed a thumb under his top teeth and flicked him off and kept striding away. Heriot’s jaw clenched. He was so going to love taking this fool out.
“Why isn’t he flushed?” his female asked. “Shouldn’t pigment transformation be affecting him, too? It had already started for him when we were on the bus. You said it happened if a male of your species feels desire for a human woman. Well, come on, from right here I can see two beautiful young women wearing way-too-short dresses in the same group as T’Antor. Don’t tell me he doesn’t desire them or any number of other women walking around out here. He doesn’t have me anymore to use to force mate… Didn’t you say his symptoms were supposed to get worse and worse? I mean, I know why you aren’t flushed anymore, but he should still be in the midst of it, right? It should be hitting him hard.”
Heriot took a deep, calming breath. He knew exactly why T’Antor wasn’t flushed anymore.
“Heriot, did you hear me? Why isn’t he…?”
He watched his mate and could see the moment she made the connection.
“No,” she gasped, her eyes wide with horror. “No! He found a different woman to force mate, didn’t he? He’s raped someone here while taking a tour on the hilltop? Oh my God. Do you think…do you think he killed her?”
“Yes.” It was logical assumption. T’Antor couldn’t leave a witness behind.
“Yes? Holy shit! We need to stop this guy before he rapes and kills another woman. Let’s go!”
She pulled his arm and he followed her down a hall, towards the room T’Antor’s group had disappeared into. Heriot stopped and shook his head.
“This is not the most logical course of action,” he said. “I need to continue scanning for Illibrium to complete my mission.”
“But shouldn’t we follow T’Antor? Don’t we need to protect other women, make sure he’s not hurting anyone while he’s up here?”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “I am not law enforcement or military. I am here to assassinate my target. That is all.”
“What? So, you don’t give a shit if he rapes twenty women here on Earth before you happen to find the time to take him out? Come on, you were pretty intent on making sure he didn’t rape me. Why do you suddenly not care if it happens to other women?”
“You are my mate, they aren’t.”
“Oh Christ. You know that’s wrong, don’t you? Totally wrong.”
“I am an assassin,” he reminded her.
“You’re not helping me to want to be with you, you know. Why would I want to leave my planet and go live with a mate who doesn’t protect others? So what, you’re just an indiscriminate murderer? A killer for hire?” Her eyes watered.
He lifted his chin. “I am the best assassin on R’Etor. Heriot & Jadzion is the most profitable assassination business on R’Etor, with the highest kill ratio.”
She threw her hands up. “Oh great. On your planet, you’re the top bad guy? The villain. You’re the antagonist…I’m not sure if I want to be an assassin’s Bride.”
Her words hit like a blade twisting in his heart. His truemate was considering rejection? Heriot reached out and cupped her chin. “I only want you,” he said, his voice heavy with the emotions he carried inside. “I am a killer for hire. I’ve never cared about beings other than my brother and my mother. But what I care about most in the universe is now right here, before me.”
Her jaw clenched, and she blew out a breath. “But, Heriot, I can’t stand by and be with a man who hurts other people and is a blight upon the universe and look the other way.”
“I will kill any R’Etor who tries to touch you. I will always protect you and keep you safe until my last breath, know that.”
His mate stepped closer, her pheromones slamming him with that insistent nag of desire.
“Thank you,” she said. “That’s great. But still—”
“And also, I can smell your desire. You cannot keep your hands off of me.”
It was true. His Bride was even now, standing with her arms around his waist, her hands trying to slip underneath his shirt and touch his skin.
Her cheeks darkened with that partial flush he loved. “Oh damn,” she sighed. “This isn’t fair. I can’t think clearly when you’re near me.”
“I will kiss you and remind you of why you want to mate with an assassin.”
