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Then Var’Len had used her, leaving her in danger, shaken, and lost. Zirkov punched his pillow over and over. He’d kill the male for what he did to his female.
His female?
“Drekk! She’s not my female!” he shouted at the ceiling in Zyanthan.
A male would put his sholani first, and he’d been putting his desires before Maggie’s needs. That proved he wasn’t her sholan, and he was a drekker for not turning her down the moment she touched him.
And yet she was all he could think about. Her soft touch. The way she teased him with a sly look that both challenged and promised so much.
Konnitch had the right of it. He should claim her. But he couldn’t. Could he? She wasn’t his sholani, but could they still be a couple?
Krike! He was doing it again. Letting his mind wander to a future that wasn’t his destiny. He had a job to do. Protect his witness, a fellow marshal who’d been kidnapped and used. He had to find Var’Len. Zirkov’s gut said the key was that diary and the unbreakable code.
He glanced at his comm again. Five forty-five a.m. She’d had four hours of sleep.
Zirkov pulled his pants on and headed into the living room. No more games, no more resisting and impeding his investigation. She would give him the answers he needed. Now.
“Magdalena, no excuses,” he called out into the dark, intending to wake her. “Give me the key so I can decipher your diary.”
No response.
He flicked the light on.
The living room, kitchen, and bathroom were empty. The linens had been neatly folded and placed on one of the chairs, with a note on top.
Thanks for the place to crash, Z, but I have work to do. It’s time I fix this mess. I’m doing this alone so no one else gets hurt. Your work is too important. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.
Yours,
Maggie
Zirkov raced outside. The cool air struck his bare chest, sending a shiver up his horns. Maggie was nowhere in sight and he had no idea where she went.
He never considered she’d hunt Var’Len on her own. Maggie had always followed the rules. The first rule, the most important one, stated an agent should always take backup.
The painful reality set in. She thought he doubted her loyalty. Krike! He should have explained himself better!
Zirkov sent a quick message to Konnitch. He needed everyone looking for her. If Var’Len found Maggie before he did…
Zirkov punched the door of his house, leaving a sizeable dent in the wood. He’d really drekked up. This time, it would cost more than his title and the respect of his fellow warriors, it would cost Maggie her life.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE
MAGGIE
As Maggie climbed the stairs to her apartment, she questioned if she should return for Zirkov. Entering a potentially dangerous situation without backup went against her training. On the other hand, her apartment would be empty.
She’d finally figured out what had been bothering her. Sure, someone had trashed her apartment. That could have been the DAA, robbers… anyone. But the vase on the counter had held one fresh yellow rose and six dead ones. There’d only been six in that vase before her life had blown up.
Bruce didn’t have keys to her apartment. If he’d come by while the DAA was investigating, they would have barred him from entering. That meant Bruce dropped the rose off after the place had been trashed… or he was the one who trashed it.
She turned onto the third-floor landing, to head to his apartment, but something compelled her to keep climbing. The image of the steps, the sensation of going higher and higher, filled her every thought, pushing out the delicious ones she’d been having about the well-built, broody zyanthan she’d left back at the house. He’d be furious when he woke and found her note. He had every reason to be. She wasn’t behaving like a marshal, but a witness who took unnecessary risks.
She needed answers, and she refused to put Zirkov in further danger. He didn’t realize how many times she’d massaged the facts to cover for him and his team, or the number of nights she’d stayed up late writing reports on his behalf, all to keep him compliant. Ignoring DAA procedures was one thing, but breaking into systems and doctoring evidence all to protect her? They’d catch him. Not only could the DAA expel him from Earth, but he could also lose command of GI7. Zirkov kept those witnesses safe and watched over his marshals. GI7 was too important to risk because of her.
Maggie passed the third and fourth floors and continued climbing until finally, she pushed against the crash bar on the door to the roof.
The door flung open, causing her to lose her balance and stumble forward. Before she could reach for her gun, a man slammed her against the rooftop air conditioner unit. Two hands clamped around her wrists, pinning her to the metal wall while two other arms ran down her torso, searching for weapons. He removed the Glock tucked in the back of her jeans.
