Chapter 12

IT FELT AS if a band of steel was wrapped around her chest.

Her mouth was dry.

Her feet refused to move.

Firbin pulled her close. “We have done nothing wrong.”

“That’s for the boss to decide.” One of the guards waved his gun at them. “Let’s not make a scene here. We’ll discuss this in private.”

Firbin hesitated.

Marissa knew instinctively that he was weighing their options. She didn’t see that they had any choice but to follow these men. They were outnumbered. The guards stood at least two deep around them. Firbin might be able to take a few of them, but their sheer numbers meant that they would lose.

“If you don’t come peacefully, the woman dies.” The guard cocked his pistol.

Marissa held her breath as she waited for Firbin’s reply.

It took only a second for him to decide.

He shrugged. “We will come.”

He put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. A sense of peace and calm filled her. She wanted to stay with him, in the comfort of his arms and forget the situation that they were caught in. Ignoring what was happening wouldn’t solve anything. They followed the security guards out of the casino and through an unlabeled door. It opened into a long hallway filled with glaring bright lights, white walls, and white tiled flooring.

Their footsteps echoed down the hall.

When they reached a locked door, the main guard keyed in a code and then pushed them through the open door. It was another long hallway that seemed to stretch forever. Cold, stark, and devoid of any decorations. Abruptly, they were forced to a stop in front of another locked door. Once it was open, they were both shoved inside.

“The boss will be down to see you shortly.”

The door shut with a firm click.

It was a small room with white concrete walls and no furniture.

“Now what?” Marissa tried to hide her fear.

“There is no need for concern.” Firbin was glancing up at the ceiling and running his hands along the walls. “Once we know what we are fighting, then I will get us out of here.”

“I’ve heard stories about what happens in these hidden hallways of Las Vegas casinos.”

“This is also a hotel.” Firbin grinned at her. “They must treat their guests well or they would be closed down.”

“This isn’t a laughing matter.” Marissa put her hands on her hips. “We are locked in a small room.”

“If they mean us harm, then I will kill them.” Firbin’s voice was serious. “Then we will escape.”

Marissa threw her arms up in the air. “We’ll be held for murder.”

“They have to catch us first.”

She took a deep breath. For whatever reason, he was refusing to see the seriousness of their situation.

“I know it’s serious.” Firbin took a step toward her. “There is no need for you to be worried. I will get us out of here.”

“How did you know what I was thinking?”

Firbin’s eyes shied away from her. “It is obvious from your face.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ve got a fantastic poker face.”

“Why would you have a poker for a face?”

“It’s an expression.” She shook her head. “I would have thought you’d have heard it before, especially since we’re in Las Vegas.”

“This is my first time to this place.” Firbin turned back to examining the walls. “Their security is very good.”

“It should be.” Marissa started to pace the small room. “More money passes through these casinos in a week than most countries see in a year. People would rob them for that alone.”

“I have no wish to steal.” Firbin frowned. “There is no honor in that.”

“You might not think like that, but there are an awful lot of others who would do anything for money.”

Firbin shrugged. “I do not understand humans.”

“You can’t say something like that and turn away.” Marissa was exasperated with this strange double talk. “You keep referring to humans as if they’re separate from you.”

“I explained that we are Hunters.” Firbin’s voice held confusion.

“That doesn’t excuse you from the human race. You live here now, and as far as I can see, you’re human. I don’t trust all of this alien stuff.” Marissa exhaled in exasperation.

“You are upset.” Firbin’s voice was soft with understanding. “I have explained myself badly.”

“Everything about this day has been going wrong.”

“Hunters are not from Earth even though we carry human genes.”

Firbin’s words hung in the air for several seconds.

“You’ve said this before. I am still having a hard time believing it. You look human.” Marissa shook her head. “You are not like those creatures at the base. Or are you? Can you change your shape?”

Horror filled her.

Had she somehow fallen into a trap?

“I am not an Albireon.” Firbin’s voice was forceful.

She’d insulted him, but what else was she to think?

Nothing was as it seemed. The boss she’d trusted was a cruel and callous man. The world was populated with secret aliens and there was an organization that worked with them. Underground, secret tunnels crisscrossed the country, and military bases harbored and protected creatures who wanted to hurt humans.

“I thought you were part of a special unit of the military.” She ran her hands through her long blonde hair. “Too much has happened in the last twenty-four hours.”

“I have no desire to upset you.”

Firbin touched her arm. A shiver of awareness raced up her arm, sending heat and pleasure though her.

“That’s another thing. How come every time you come near or touch me, I feel it throughout my body?”

A nerve in Firbin’s jaw tightened.

His eyes skittered away.

“It is part of the bonding.”

“Bonding? What is that supposed to mean?”

“Hunters form pair bonds.” Firbin looked back at her, his eyes intense.

“Is that a special way of saying you’re attracted to someone?” Marissa frowned. “Bonding is a strange approach to hooking up.”

Firbin shook his head. “You do not understand. A Hunter only forms a bond with one woman. It lasts beyond death.”

Marissa raised her hands and backed away. “That line sounds like you’re definitely coming on to me.”

“Never. A Hunter would never do something that a woman didn’t want.” Firbin’s voice was earnest. “I would never interfere with your life.”

Marissa backed up to the wall and slid down to the floor. “This is too crazy with everything that is going on right now.”

“I did not mean it to be.” Firbin went over to her and crouched down in front. “I was only trying to explain what the sensation was that you were feeling.”

He was telling the truth.

Marissa sensed it and saw it in his eyes.

She was the one who was confused now. How did she know what he was feeling? And what about the bonding he mentioned. It sounded serious and she didn’t know how she felt about that. There was too much happening for her to process it all.

“I will take it slow.”

“Are you reading my mind?”

Firbin shook his head. “I am only sensing your feelings. I have heard that many a bonded pair are able to communicate with their thoughts.”

Marissa’s eyes widened. “Is that how you are talking with the others? I’ve noticed some strange looks and then you all seem to know what you’re doing.”

“It is a well-guarded secret that only Hunters and their mates are aware of.”

“How many mates?”

“There are six Hunters who have found their mates.” Firbin’s voice was a low whisper. “Hunters have been forbidden to mate in the past. Since arriving on Earth and having our implants deactivated, we have discovered that we are able to mate.”

“So you’re definitely not from Earth.”

She said the words under her breath, letting the meaning fully sink into her brain. He’d told her before that he wasn’t from Earth, but this was the first time she understood the full implications.

“No. I am from Cygnus.” Firbin stood. “We were slated for execution on our home planet. When we were being transported to our execution, our leader Ardal, ordered us to fight. That’s how we crashed on this planet.”

“You’re really an alien.” Marissa sighed. “I’ve heard and seen too many crazy things today.”

“I am human also. It has been a wonderful experience on this planet.”

Marissa remembered some of what Douglas had said in his quarters. He hadn’t reacted when Firbin had said they were Hunters. Instead, he’d mentioned that they weren’t supposed to exist.

“Douglas knew about you.”

Firbin grinned. “He fears us.”

“He said you weren’t supposed to exist.”

“He is allied with the Albireons.” Firbin put his hands on his hips. “The man knows more about what is happening on this planet and in the universe than he should.”

“You have secret knowledge also.”

“Hunters have been used since the beginning of time to rid the universe of aliens such as the Albireons. We will not stop fighting on Earth until they are all gone.”

Marissa felt the start of a headache and rubbed her forehead. Lack of sleep and too much stress was making her world spin. Who knew if she was even thinking right? Perhaps this was still part of the nightmare that had started back at the airbase with those horrible creatures.

“This is not a dream.” Firbin’s voice was low. “I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. You must trust me.”

There was a loud bang outside of their door.

Marissa stood.

“I have no choice but to rely on you.” She straightened her t-shirt. “I think we’re about to meet our fate.”