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He glanced around, noting again the number of unmated females in the vicinity. His jaw clenched. Their acidic pheromones filled his nostrils and clogged his lungs. But luckily, so far none of the nearby females where triggering his desire, so therefore his mating pigment was in check, his skin neutral. In his home world unmated males had to manage their mating pigment symptoms when in public. Because Heriot had more testosterone than average, his pigment transformation was more extreme than most. For this reason, Heriot had self-selected isolation. As an assassin, he’d occasionally found himself near an unmated female he desired but managed to exit prior to mating pigment transformation.
“Mommy, what is that guy?” a small female youngling loudly questioned nearby. He glanced over to see the small human openly staring at him. The mother appeared embarrassed at the small human’s question. She shushed her daughter and moved the child along.
Heriot shook his head. He was taller and wider than most of the human males he’d seen. Humans had varying shades of pigment—from dark to light. None held the same majesty as a R’Etor with colorless skin. R’Etor ears were different from human ears, but his hair hid this discrepancy. Some of the humans were almost as colorless as R’Etor, so he knew he looked human enough to pass as their own species, but still, the faster he left, the better.
He had originally calculated that human females were not near enough in physiology to prove compatible to mate with R’Etor, so therefore they would not trigger his own transformation. This was a logical assumption since no other species had proven compatible with R’Etor, ever. When he landed on Earth the computer had recalculated that likelihood to be at fifty percent. Well, he was standing planetside, amongst the humans, and he could feel the edge of transformation tingling within. His pheromones shifting to life, bubbling inside and ready to put him through living hell at the scent of a desirable female. Humans were one hundred percent compatible for mating with R’Etor species.
Heriot cursed.
This hit was becoming more difficult with each passing moment. How his target, an unmated male, was able to live here longer than two diurnal rotations, amongst a triggering species such as this, without having been exposed as an off-worlder due to his pigment transformation, was a mystery.
Heriot had played a quick game of partials with his brother Jadzion over who would take which position on Earth, and lost, leaving him stalking one of the T’Antor brothers at this…place. He glanced around. At this museum? Or was it a large, public domicile? The signs out front were emblazoned with the words: Hearst Castle. He shook his head, wondering at this strange human custom. Setting up large domiciles that no being lived in, only to have humans tour and gawk over the empty interiors. Why did they have such large, unused dwellings when there had to be millions of humans on their planet in need of shelter?
Humans were not very logical.
Heriot had killed in every sector of R’Etor. Sometimes with his brother and sometimes as now, without. They’d each earned one hundred percent kill rates. Heriot & Jadzion were expensive, and their targets were usually activists, generals, politicians and important individuals within R’Etor society or business. Heriot checked his targets himself, requiring proof that each was worthy of permanent extinction.
Fortunately, Heriot already had a lock on his target. He and his brother had been sent by R’Etor government to assassinate two targets…who also happened to be brothers. Two brothers who were assassins, stalking two brothers who were their targets. They were not expected to capture their targets and return them. They were to assassinate the insurgents and leave, without having left a footprint.
This was easier said than done.
Heriot was certain that T’Antor felt he was free, having left and gone to Earth. But Heriot and his brother were willing to do whatever it took to track down their targets. Even if it meant leaving R’Etor to do so.
Heriot glanced again at his hand tablet. He had a lock. He moved in closer for a visual confirmation and identified his target—Fucyu T’Antor, who was walking into a waiting area, loading a transportation vehicle.
He crooked an eyebrow. T’Antor appeared to be accompanying a human female. A female with skin almost the same tone as a R’Etor. But her hair…her hair was permanently flushed. It was red. Or orange. A changeable mixture of both. Heriot sucked in a sharp breath. His eyes roamed up and down her curvy body. This human was basically a R’Etor sex symbol. She looked like a female in her first flush, but no such thing existed. Only males flushed with pigment transformation.
His nostrils flared. Her enticing pheromones alerted his senses from across the visitor center, and Heriot could immediately sense that this female was his mate. The knowledge hit him like an asteroid. Not just a female he desired. No, this human was his truemate.
God-stars, this changed everything.
Heriot edged closer to the alluring female. He could see her clearly, R’Etor eyesight was ten times more accurate than a human’s. He stared at her in shock.
His truemate was human? How was this possible?
But he could not deny the legendary possession of a mated R’Etor that swept through his mind and body. His focus and thoughts narrowed from his mission, his home world, his brother, to instead latch on the human female who was now going to be his partner for life.
His heart hammered. His blood began to boil.
He watched as T’Antor stood too close to his mate. How he placed his hand on the small of her back. A growl rumbled in Heriot’s chest. T’Antor’s skin was flushed with desire for the female. Now Heriot knew how this male had lived amongst the humans for twenty-two diurnal rotations without exposure—he was force mating every human female he desired. And Heriot’s mate was to be T’Antor’s next prey.
He threw back his head and roared.
3
Hannah walked with T’Antor into the gathering area for the shuttle that would take them up a long, winding road to their destination at the edge of the hilltop estate, where they would exit for their tour of the castle and grounds. They lined up behind two men wearing light backpacks, chatting together in German. Lots of people were grouped there, waiting to load the bus. Languages from all over the world were being spoken. A large group of laughing, boisterous ladies, all wearing matching purple T-shirts emblazoned with the wordsRed Hat Society,were at the front of the line, already boarding.
Hannah stepped forward in line. T’Antor placed his hand on the small of her back as he moved with her. She pursed her lips because, um, she didn’t really want this guy she didn’t even knowtouchingher.
This wasn’t a date.
Hannah knew she was super picky and that was why she rarely dated. And that was okay. She was serious about waiting for the right guy and giving that man, the man she was going to marry for life, her virginity. Some people might think that was old-fashioned and the silliest thing they’d ever heard, but hey, to each his own.
She was waiting.
At twenty-three years old, it was starting to seem, though, like she was the only virgin left on planet Earth. But she was holding on to this ideal with both hands. She wanted that first time she made love to be with the man she’d vowed forever with, and she was willing to wait to find a man who respected that ideal and was willing to give it to her.
She glanced back and noticed that T’Antor wasn’t smiling anymore. In fact, he looked angry. And she had no idea why.
