Beauty and the Beast: Interstellar Brides® Program: The Beasts - 3

by Goodwin, Grace

  “None of that. Your communicators may be primitive, but you will not seek help.” The huge alien grabbed my cell from the makeup station and put it in his pocket. Shit.

  “Who are you?” I asked again. “What the hell do you want?”

  His gaze roved over my hair, my neck, my body. “Revenge. Your mate has done some very bad things. Hurt people. It is time for him to hurt in return.”

  Oh God. He was here because of Bahre. I might attract stalkers but not alien ones.

  “I don’t have a mate,” I snapped. I wasn’t sure that was strictly true, at least in Bahre’s opinion, but I wasn’t above lying to this freak to get him to leave me alone. I could scream. Someone would—

  The alien moved faster than I could track, his hand covering my mouth when barely a squeak had escaped.

  His hand was warm and big, covering me from ear to ear.

  “No. I’m here because you and Bahre, how do you say, went viral? Not just on Earth. They are playing your adorable little meeting over every planet’s comms. You’re the hit of the entire universe. Warlord Bahre, hero of the Coalition Fleet, assassin and top-level operative for the Intelligence Core, has found himself a little human female to mate.” He glanced at my hands. “No cuffs. Bahre isn’t as smart as I thought.”

  I tried to shake my head in denial, but he leaned over me, hand covering my mouth, so close I could see the odd striations inside his eyes. I’d never seen anything like them, not even in lizards. This close I realized the golden color was actually black and yellow striping so thin the colors blended.

  The plain black suit and blue tie made him appear all too human, until one looked into his eyes. Or he smiled and showed his fangs. God… fangs! Was he a vampire? Seriously. A few years ago I hadn’t believed in aliens either. Was he going to bite me? Shit.

  Pressing his nose to my hair, he inhaled. I flinched. “Were there not such a high price on your head, human, I’d keep you for myself.”

  Price on my head?

  What was he talking about?

  Still holding me in place, he reached into his pocket and took out a small metallic device about the size of a large coin. Placing it on my thigh, he covered the object until I felt a sharp little bite of pain, as if the device had attached to my skirt and dug just a bit too deep.

  “You’re going to enjoy your new life with Cerberus, human.”

  He stepped back, and my mouth was finally free. I tried to scream, but the air was torn from my lips before the sound registered as everything around me twisted and distorted. Ice-cold claws dug into my flesh, and my world went black.

  * * *

  Bahre

  My fellow warlords, my brothers from Atlan, gathered around me with smiles on each and every face the moment I walked in. They had cleared a large area in the center of the room for the sport. Keeping Atlan warlords penned up inside such a small space was not a wise idea.

  My mate was upstairs preparing for her evening in front of the strange green screen speaking about Earth’s weather. She had to stay here long enough to repeat the performance later in the night, and I was restless because of it. I wanted to take her home. Now. Strip her naked and claim her over and over. My beast agreed. Only two floors separated us in the tall building, but that was too much. I tried to remain calm, but it was difficult. I’d touched her. Tasted her. Filled her. Being apart was a struggle.

  While she did her job telling the humans about their daily weather, I had come here to collect the few things I had and tell the others of my good fortune without being too far from my female. I choked down a growl from my beast. If he wasn’t touching her, he believed we were too far away.

  “Well?” Tane asked.

  “She is mine.”

  The Atlans rose and slammed their meaty fists onto my back and shoulders, some harder than strictly necessary, in a show of support. “Gods be damned, Bahre. That is good news.”

  “I need to get the fuck out of here. I scented every single female from the program and not one of them interested my beast,” Kai said.

  “I suffer the same fate, friend,” Tane added. “However Bahre has found his mate. As did Wulf and Braun. There is hope.”

  “There isn’t much hope for the Bachelor Beast program,” I shared. “They have yet to understand we know immediately that the contestants are not our mate. There is no show.”

  They grunted in agreement.

  “I do not wish for my match to be broadcast on the television like Wulf’s was, and live on the news program as you were last night,” Iven added.

  I shrugged, not caring at all. I’d found my mate. I’d protected her, satisfied her. More than once. My beast was content, for now. She was not wearing my mating cuffs, but as I told her last night, I was patient.

  The five of us spoke for some time, and I truly enjoyed being among a group of warlords for the first time in many years. I was not on a mission, preparing to go into battle. There was no Hive here on Earth. Dr. Helion didn’t have power here. I doubted he could pull me back from this Bachelor Beast program if he tried. Ambassador Lorvar had become involved when Braun and his mate had been in an altercation with a thieving man. That meant this was more than just a human amusement. We were diplomatic liaisons whether we wanted to be or not.

  That role allowed me to be here among friends, my beautiful female nearby. Safe. Waiting for me to come to her after her work was completed.

  Then the real discussion would begin, for I could not remain on Earth. It was not allowed. She would need to accompany me to The Colony. Live there. Leave her life on Earth behind.

  What if she refused to give up everything she had for a broken, scarred beast?

  What if last night meant something different to her than it did to me and my beast?

  I’d heard of females seeking short-term sexual relationships with men. It was done all the time on Earth and even elsewhere in the universe. The idea of Quinn participating in that with others made my beast angry, but I was no innocent either.

  There would be no other for me. I had to ensure there would be no other for Quinn as well. It was my job to sway her if she had any doubts.

  Even the possibility that she had any made me panic. My cuffs were affixed to my belt, not to our wrists.

  “That is a serious countenance, Bahre.” Tane sat beside me and watched the others return to wrestling.

  “I have not told my mate that she will need to leave Earth. I do not know what her response will be. Surely she knows it is coming.”

  Tane chuckled. “Simply put your mouth on her pussy and make her come until she agrees.”

  What a pleasure that would be. I grinned at the thought, but my female was most likely stubborn. I’d met other Earth women who’d been matched, and they tested the patience of their mates. Each and every one. I expected nothing less from Quinn. “I do not know if that will be enough.”

  “Then you aren’t doing it right.”

  I shoved him so hard he fell off the chair he’d been sitting in and landed on his ass on the floor. But he was laughing. “A little sensitive?”

  “I assure you, my mate is well satisfied.” I thought of the sound of her pleasure as I’d filled her, the look on her face as I did so. The tremble and quiver of her body.

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  I shook my head but remained silent, not wanting to go into the details of the night before spent with Quinn. She was mine. Our time together was mine as well. I did not want to share her.

  “You’re irresistible, Bahre. One night and she let you into her bed.” He grinned again, happy for me, which was a gift from a true friend. “She’ll love you. And once she does, she’ll follow you anywhere.”

  I wasn’t so sure, but I didn’t have time to argue before a knock came on the door.

  One of the others pushed off the floor and went to open it. I was surprised to see a small, older female standing on the other side. She was wringing her hands and looked upset.

  “Is… is Bahre her
e?” She had to tip her chin back to look at Warlord Iven.

  I stood at once, every instinct screaming at me that something was wrong and it wasn’t that she was fearful of Iven and his size.

  “I am here.” I strode to the door. She stood in the stairwell, not coming inside.

  She beckoned me with her hand. “You need to come. I mean, I’m Ellen. I know Quinn. You need to come now.” The alarm in her voice had my beast rising in an instant.

  “Is Quinn well?”

  She looked to me, then away. “I don’t know.”

  “What do you mean, you don’t know? Where is she?” My voice had risen, and I was shouting.

  She cringed. “I don’t know.”

  My beast roared, and the little female jumped like she was terrified. Iven reached out a hand to steady her, his voice kinder and gentle, as if she were a frightened child. “It’s all right, Ellen. Bahre would never harm a female.”

  “Okay.” She allowed Iven to lead her into the room, barely. The door would not close and rested against her foot. She looked up at me. “You are with Quinn, right?”

  “She is mine.”

  Ellen nodded. “Good. That’s what I thought. Your video went viral, you know? When you interrupted her segment. The network is thrilled. Forty million views in the first twelve hours. And she was so happy when she came in…” The woman’s rambling voice trailed off, and Tane held out a hand to warn me off as Iven urged her to continue.

  “Where is Quinn now?” Iven asked, his voice deliberately gentle, completely opposite of mine.

  “I don’t know. I finished her makeup, left to get some cleaner for my brushes, and when I came back, I heard her scream, but when I opened the door, she was gone.”

  My hands clenched into fists.

  “When?” Tane asked.

  “About twenty minutes ago. I’m sorry. I forgot you were downstairs until the police asked if she was dating anyone. And since Quinn’s seen Jeff Randall—the guy who’s been stalking her—here in Miami, I thought maybe it was him at first. You know? I just wasn’t sure what to do.”

  I processed everything she said. Quinn screamed twenty minutes ago, and I was just learning about it now. The police were here. And the mention of her stalker, again, had my beast wanting to rip heads from bodies. One in particular since local law enforcement wasn’t able to do so.

  “Show me,” I said, on the balls of my feet and ready to knock the woman out of the way to dash up the two flights of steps.

  Ellen pivoted on her heel as if relieved to be able to move and began to climb the stairs. I followed with Tane right behind me. The others stayed behind at my command. I did not need a group of Atlans tearing up this station or frightening my mate or her friends. Two would be plenty.

  When we reached the upper floor, Ellen opened the door to chaos.

  Human police officers were everywhere, four immediately within view. They were dressed in identical dark uniforms, their chests puffed with what I assumed was human armor. The security guard assigned to her workplace spoke in an animated tone with one of the human officers, who took notes. Another officer was on his radio even as one of the females in charge of the cameras was walking around waving her arms in the air, telling everyone to be quiet that they were going to be “on the air” in five minutes.

  “Warlord Bahre?” A young female officer approached. The petite human stared up at me, hands on her hips.

  I nodded, although I had no doubt she knew who I was. My image was in the lobby, and as Ellen had said, I was all over the television. “Yes. I am Bahre.”

  “I’m Officer Daniels. Come with me please. We’d like to ask you some questions.”

  No. She wasn’t asking questions. I was. “Where is my mate? Where is Quinn McCaffrey?”

  “That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”

  As the young female did not offer valid information, I turned to Ellen. “Where was she when she was taken?”

  “Wait a minute. How do you know she was taken against her will?” The officer followed Ellen through ugly, barren back hallways to a door that looked like any other.

  Ellen stopped and turned to me. “In here.”

  I reached for the door handle.

  “Don't touch that!” Officer Daniels placed her body between me and the door. My beast was not pleased. “There might be fingerprints on that door handle.”

  I did not give a fuck about fingerprints. “Move or I will move you, female.”

  “Bahre.” Tane’s hand came to rest on my shoulder, and he stepped around me to address the young woman. I hadn’t even known he’d remained behind me. I was too focused. Too intent on finding Quinn. “Please open the door, Officer.”

  She glared at me, showing either a disturbing lack of self-preservation or a foolish amount of courage. I wasn’t sure which.

  Reaching into her pocket, she produced a thin, floppy glove and put it on. Careful not to touch anything more than necessary, she turned the handle and pushed the door open. I knew of fingerprints and their use in identification, but it was so primitive. The Coalition’s technology was far beyond that basic task of investigation, and it was extremely frustrating that the person who seemed to be in charge thought they were so important.

  It made me doubt the humans’ abilities to find my mate.

  I inhaled deeply. Immediately the scent of my mate flooded my senses. Yes, this was Quinn’s space. She spent a lot of time here.

  I walked into the room and closed my eyes, allowed my enhanced senses to bring other information to me.

  The scent of a male. Fresh. Aggressive.

  “There has been a male in this room.”

  Ellen walked to stand beside me. “Oh, no. It was just me and Quinn today. Mike Rampart has the day off.”

  “Not him. I scented him last night. Another male was here.” I glared at Ellen, who had gone pale.

  “Oh, no.”

  Tane, the officer, and I all looked at Ellen expectantly.

  “Speak. Now,” I commanded.

  “I know she’s been having trouble with Jeff Randall. She told me she’s seen him around town. He’s never approached her, only, like, across a parking lot. He’s kept to the rules of his restraining order, but maybe he’s finally gone after her. I mean, everyone in Miami saw you claim her as your mate on live TV. Maybe he wasn’t thrilled with that.”

  “He took my mate from me?” My beast was not amused. She’d spoken of the threat, told me about the guy, but she’d been with me the night before. She’d been safe.

  I looked to Tane. “She was not safe, and I left her.”

  “Focus,” he whispered.

  “I should have found this… Jeff Randall. Crushed the male and ended her concern.”

  “No crushing,” Officer Daniels said to me, then spoke into her radio. She listened, then turned to Ellen. “Ms. McCaffrey had a restraining order against Jeff Randall. Is that correct?”

  Ellen nodded. “Yes. He followed it by staying the exact distance away. But he came here from Chicago. For her. Harassed her. Followed her around.”

  My beast took over, and I grew even more, towering over Tane.

  “Oh, shit.” Officer Daniels took a step back. Tane looked up at me, and I knew he was thinking the same thing I was. His next question confirmed it.

  “Where can we find Jeff Randall? Not for crushing, but to find Warlord Bahre’s mate.”

  Yes. Where was this male who tormented my mate? I would find him. And unlike what Tane just said, I would crush him. And if he had hurt Quinn, I would make him suffer before I killed him.

  7

  Bahre

  There had been a Hunter on Earth watching over Angela, Braun’s mate, for the two weeks he’d been separated from her. The Hunter had been sent by the Prime himself to protect the warlord’s mate while the negotiations between Lorvar and Earth’s diplomatic team proceeded. Braun had been expelled from the planet and not been allowed to return. Gods, no one had been able to come to Earth besides the amb
assador, all because a human had killed himself by falling down a flight of stairs while stealing a television.

  Stupid, primitive humans.

  Over the past few hours, watching the law enforcement efforts in trying to find Quinn, along with what Braun had experienced, made me completely lacking in trust that they would find my mate. They swarmed and talked. Made plans. Asked questions. No human could scent her or the male as I had. Their skills were simple and modest, and that made my beast irate. I wanted my usual group from the IC here. Now. They’d find her, and the fucker who took her, within the hour.

  I had no idea how Braun had kept his beast in check when he’d been kept from Angela, especially when he’d had mating fever. I was losing my mind. My beast was pushing to get to the surface, and I’d had to will him back again and again. The last thing I wanted to do was be expelled to The Colony and not be able to find Quinn. To leave her rescue in the hands of these… simpletons.

  That Hunter would have been able to track her if he were still here. Which he was not. Only the contingent of other warlords with me had kept me from going insane. Or turning into my beast. We’d gone immediately to Quinn’s home, but there had been no sign of her. No sign of the male scent I’d picked up in the makeup room. Her car was in the parking lot where she’d parked this morning. With me.

  There were no recording devices on the television station’s floor. There was no way to know who had walked into the makeup room. Who had walked out. Where they’d gone. While there were cameras in the parking garage and lobby, Quinn had not been on the recordings. Law enforcement confirmed that Jeff Randall also wasn’t on any of them.

  “It’s like she just disappeared,” Tane said as we paced the hallway outside the makeup room.

  “I should have remained with Quinn,” I told him. “Stayed at her side. Fuck, had my cuffs on her wrists; then I’d have known the second she’d been taken.” The cuffs caused pain when claimed mates were too far apart. The pain I felt now was within and close to unendurable. Helpless.