Hoss got out of the back of the ambulance. Dusk had centered over the fields, the air turning cooler.

Agnes raced over, looking around wildly. “Where are they? I thought you said they were here.”

“They are here.”

“What? I don’t see anything. You said they would be here.”

The Orion’s medical ship, the Centarus, materialized.

Agnes covered her mouth. “Oh, my God.” She looked up at him. “They’re here.” Tears swelled in her eyes.

He wrapped his arm around her waist. “I told you Tryker wouldn’t let you down.” He gave her a kiss, wanting to take away her pain until someone cleared his voice.

Tryker looked at him. “You have a patient for me?”

“Yes, yes.” Agnes pushed away from Hoss. “He’s in here. Please, hurry.” She climbed into the ambulance.

Tryker leaned close. “She’s quiet beautiful, Hoss. A little curvy for your taste.”

Anonghos grunted, not ready to admit anything yet. Too much was at stake to discuss mating. Who was he kidding?The permanence of a true mate terrified him.

Hoss slowly followed Tryker, who pulled out his medical transrecorder. Tryker aimed the device at Frank. “I’m not going to lie to either of you. It doesn’t look good, but let’s get him on board the Centarus.”

Agnes nodded, but didn’t answer. She cast Hoss a look of pure hate. He flinched. If Tryker couldn’t heal Frank, she’d never forgive him.

He’d been so confident that Zalarian medicine was far superior from humans, but nothing on this mission had turned out the way he thought. Too many women murdered, an agent down, weapons useless.

On board the Centarus, Tryker motioned for the doctors to take Frank into the operating room.

Agnes cleared her throat. “Doctor, what are my brother’s chances?”

“To be honest, he has a fifty fifty chance. His vitals are very weak. Our treatment is more aggressive than yours. I hoped he’d be stronger.”

Hoss went to put his arm around her shoulder, and she ducked. “Will he walk?”

“If he survives, he’ll walk.”

Agnes bit her lip. “If I would have–”

“Let me be straight with you,” Tryker said. “The doctors may have saved his life, but he wouldn’t have walked.”

“Are you so sure about that, Doc? Sounds like to me I’ve been fed one big tale after another. If you’ll excuse me, I have to go and salvage what little career I have left.”

She turned to leave.

Hoss clasped her arm. “Agnes?”

She whirled around, like a black hole, slamming her fists onto his chest repeatedly. “You said he’d live.”

Her force didn’t hurt him physically as much as it hurt his heart. He’d broken her trust. For not wanting to end up like his dad, each time she hit, a crack split on his iron wall.

Tryker grabbed her fists. “Stop. This isn’t helping your brother.”

“Let go of me.” She twisted and stamped on his feet.

“Tryker, let her go,” Hoss said wearily.

Agnes jerked her wrists free. She walked away with her shoulders braced. A loud shrill of sirens broke the tension.

She yanked out her cell phone and stared in disbelief. “Kathy? Noooo! You fucking bastard! I’ll kill you!”

Hoss rushed over to her. Agnes fell on her knees, but before she hit the floor, Hoss caught her. He ripped the phone out of her hand and his eyes widened at the grisly images. “Daidhl, you plake!”

Agnes clutched his shirt, burying her face. Her body shaking hard.

Daidhl laughed. “I got to take my time with her. Your mate is next.”

With that the phone went dead.

Hoss wrapped his arms around her shaking body. “I’m so sorry.” He kissed the top of her head, not caring if she cut out his heart with her fingernails.

Between sobs, she managed to say,“He-he-said he gutted her.”

His dragon raged for her. Daidhl would pay for his cruelty. “Stay here with your brother. I’ll–”

“No!” She pushed away and wiped her tears on her sleeve. “I’m a homicide detective. Kathy was my friend. I”ll be the one to bring him to justice.”

Hoss put his hands on her shaking shoulders. “You can’t arrest him,” he said softly.

Hate flared in her eyes. “Then, I swear I’ll kill him.”

“Don’t be foolish.” Hoss clasped her shoulders. “Not even the entrapment cage worked on him. It’s the most powerful jail in the universe. So believe me when I tell you there is no weapon on Earth that can kill him.”

“Hoss, that isn’t exactly true,” Tryker said.

Hoss yanked up his head. “What?”

“I’ve been reading the logs of the first Mistonian who was killed here. The humans used an entrapment cage similar to ours, but theirs had light. In doing further research, I found that the light was the same brightness of the Mistonian’s sun. The Mistonian was different than the one possessing Daidhl. Not only did it feed on the victim’s fear, it sucked on their blood.”

Agnes frowned. “You mean, like a vampire?”

He flicked her silky hair behind her slender neck. “I don’t know what a vampire is.”

“A creature that sucks your blood.”

“Sounds very similar to a Mistonian.”

Eagerness flashed in Agnes’ eyes. “Wait a minute. How long will it take you to make this entrapment?”

“Once I discovered how the creature was killed, the other medical lab doctors and I have been working on one.”

“Is it ready?” Hoss asked.

Tryker looked between Hoss and Agnes. “Yes, but it hasn’t been tested. I don’t know if the trap will work.”

“We have to try.” Agnes looked between the men. “It’s not just women were saving. We’re saving the mates who will continue your race.”

“I’ll contact the lab to bring you the weapon, but right now, I have to try and save Frank.” He clasped Hoss’s shoulder. “Be careful. The Mistonians are difficult to kill. May the Fates be with you.”

Tryker left them alone.

“Hoss, do you think this thing will work?”

He ran his hand through his hair. “I honestly don’t know. The one I used earlier failed miserably.”

“Why?”

“For one thing, he was invisible, and the entrapment is designed to hit a suspect in the heart.”

She paced back and forth. “I’m just so worried about Frank and so damn angry about Daidhl that I don’t know whether I’m coming or going.” She braced her shoulders. “But I can’t let this go, Hoss. Daidhl has gone after my friend, my family, and me. He’s not going to stop.”

“Agnes, this is getting too dangerous. You need to stay in the ship where it’s safe and wait for Frank.”

“No, I don’t. If I stay here, I’ll go crazy. If you’re my mate, then you know staying behind will kill me.”

He groaned. “Fates, you’re not making this easy.”

She scrunched up her face. “Oh, I’m sooo sorry. I didn’t realize this was so hard for you.”

“Look, I know you’re brother’s fighting for his life and your best friend was murdered, but I’m worried about you. I’ve never felt…” He turned away, not wanting to acknowledge what he was feeling. “I… I don’t want to lose you.”

“Because you’ll lose your breeder.”

He whirled around. “Is that what you think?” His angry voice changed into a loud snarl.

Agnes took a step back, putting her hand on her throat.

Crap, what the hell was he doing?

A tall Inquistain dragon in humanoid form came out of the lab, holding an entrapment cage. “Is everything all right here?”

Agnes slowly put her shaking hand down. “Yes. We’re fine.”

He reached out his hand. “I’m Flask. One of the scientists that helped work on this.”

Her gaze focused on the weapon. She hurried over to the doctor. “Is that the ensnarement cage? God, it looks like a compact mirror.”

Flask stiffened. “I assure you, this weapon is not a compact mirror.”

Disbelief shone in Agnes’s eyes. “Can this really capture Daidhl?”

Hoss seized her arm. “You don’t know how to use it and could trap yourself inside. Plus, we don’t even know if it will work. The Inquistains didn’t have a long time to work on it.”

Flask glared. “Despite what you think, Bravian, we are not as incompetent as you think.”

“I agree,” Hoss said. “Daidhl’s been making a good show of an Inquistian’s abilities.”

“That has been unfortunate.”

Agnes glared. “Look, we don’t have time for a pissing contest between you two.” She gestured toward the cage. “How does the thing work?”

Flask’s eyes and mouth lost their tenseness, replaced with a beaming smile bigger than a proud new father’s. “The light feeds on their radioactive cells.”

Confusion replaced the anger in her eyes. “I don’t understand.”

“Thousands of years ago,” Flask said. “The Mistonians had humanoid bodies. They were a peaceful race. However, a rogue comet passed their sun, making it extremely radioactive. The radiation not only destroyed their body’s cells beyond repair, but it changed their race. They became more aggressive, more vengeful. Most of the population was wiped out. Those who survived, developed into gaseous forms creating a whole new species. Instead of feeding on solid forms, they feed on emotions.”

“What does this have to do with the light in this weapon?”

“The sun was so powerful that they could no longer could go out during the day. The radiation would fizzle, even their gaseous forms. On Mistonia, they can only come out at night, so most of them have dispersed throughout the universe.”

Agnes frowned. “Wait a minute. If you unleash this weapon on Earth, what will happen? Will it destroy us?”

Flask shook his head. “No. Since Earthlings have not been exposed to the Mistonian’s sun, none of your cells have been damaged. But this light will reactivate the Mistonian’s already damaged cells, which will either kill him or make him vulnerable to our weapons.”

“Does the Mistonian’s sun have an impact on a Zalarian’s body?” Agnes asked.

Flask handed it to Hoss. “That’s the flaw in this device. Our bodies were also not exposed to their sun, so the light won’t harm us.”

“Then, this thing’s not going to work,” Agnes said.

“Not necessarily,” Flask said. “If Daidhl is out in the daylight in humanoid form, this could weaken him.”

Hoss attached the entrapment cage to his belt. “Enough for me to kill him.”

“However, if he’s in dragon form…”

“It won’t work on him.” Agnes finished for him.

“Our dragons are much too powerful for the light,” Flask said. “The light can’t penetrate our scales.”

“The problem is drawing Daidhl out,” Hoss said. “The bastard has been lurking in darkness.”

“Are you sure?” Eagerness shook in Flask’s voice.

Hoss and Agnes looked at each other. “Yes,” they answered.

“There’s a chance, a small one, that Earth’s sun may be having a negative effect on the Mistonian.”

Hoss smiled. “Then, he’s vulnerable.”

“Good,” Agnes said. “I know a way to draw him out.”

Uneasiness fluttered in Hoss’s gut. “How?”

She smirked. “Live bait.”

He scowled. “No.”

“Listen to me. We have a chance. He came out once in the daylight at Starbucks to give you Laura Nybo’s uterus.”

Flask rubbed his chin. “I bet that stunt weakened him.”

The memory of his mom leaving him flashed in Hoss’s mind. He remembered screaming at her to stay, but she hadn’t even glanced over her shoulder, hadn’t waved, hadn’t blown a kiss–just walked out of his life forever.

Unwanted tears threatened to flow again. He cleared his throat, pushing them back. He drew on his strength to ignore those dreaded memories, but they were getting stronger. “It’s too dangerous!”

Agnes winced.

Flask frowned. “You don’t have to yell. We’re both standing right next to you.”

Glisten of sweat trickled down Hoss’s temples. Fates, he was trying to stay in control. “Sorry, I don’t want Agnes to get hurt.” His voice shook uncontrollably.

The panic welling through his thoughts and words wasn’t him. Logically, Agnes being bait was a sound idea, but he couldn’t handle the thought of her being exposed and vulnerable. He’d fought too long to be a stronger dragon than his father.

“You don’t have to worry about me. I’m a Malloy. I can do this.” Agnes braced her shoulders. The stubborn glint in her eyes meant trouble. He groaned.

Hoss clenched his fists to keep from shaking. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”

“No, I’m not. You need to show me how to use this thing. Daidhl won’t expect me to have it. This gives us a huge advantage.”

“Total madness.” Hoss put his hand over the cage, afraid that Agnes would try and grab it.

“We’re wasting time.” Agnes put both her hands on his chest and pushed as if to get him to change his mind.

“See,” Hoss said. “You’re losing your cool, which is exactly what Daidhl wants.”

“Because you’re not using your head.” She faced Flask. “Who is in charge here?”

“It’s still Topaz, even though he’s back on Zalara. We report to him.”

She narrowed her eyes at Hoss. “Then it’s his decision. Contact him.”

Flask pulled out his telicator. “Captain, this is Flask. Do you read me?”

“Topaz here.”

Hoss grimaced. He knew what Topaz would say. “Flask, she’s my mate. It’s my decision whether she’s put in mortal danger.”

“You explain it to the captain.”

“What’s going on?” Topaz demanded.

Before Hoss could answer, Agnes snagged Flask’s telicator. “Captain, this is Detective Malloy of the Arvada Police Department. I’m Hoss’s mate.”

“I know who you are.”

“Agnes, no.” Hoss reached for the telicator. “It’s not his decision.”

“Yes, it is. He’s your superior.”

The captain interrupted. “Hoss, shut up, so I can hear what’s she saying. That’s an order.”

Hoss threw up his arms in frustration.

Agnes flashed Hoss a superior look then she proceeded to fill the captain in on what was happening.

Anonghos’s telicator beeped. He glared at Agnes, who was on the other side of the room, taking deep breaths.

This was ridiculous. He yanked his telicator out. “Hoss, here.”

“Is it true what your mate said?”

“It’s too dangerous, Captain.”

“I asked you a direct question.”

Hoss hesitated. He could lie, but what good would it do? “Yes, Captain.”

“Then you know what must be done. We can’t afford to lose any more mates.”

“But I could lose mine.”

“I suggest you figure out a way to protect her. Think with your head, not your cock. That’s an order, Hoss. If any other mates are murdered, I’ll hold you personally responsible. Do we understand one another?”

“Understood,” he grimaced.

Agnes handed Flask his telicator. “What will happen if another woman is murdered?”

“It means he could be sentenced to death,” Flask said.

“What!”

“We’re facing extinction, Detective. Every mate we lose, means our population grows smaller.” He clasped Hoss’s arm. “I suggest you follow the captain’s orders. You’re a good chief of security.” He bowed slightly at Agnes. “If you’ll excuse me, Detective, I better return to the lab to see if Tryker needs any assistance with your brother.”

“Yes, of course.”

Hoss and Agnes stood studying each other. He still hadn’t taken his hand off the cage. Warring emotions threatened to burst through his tight chest.

Agnes broke the silence. “What happens if I die?”

“The captain said all mates. That would include you.”

She frowned. “He’s serious?”

“Yes. Topaz doesn’t have a sense of humor.”

“Then, we better find a way to keep me safe. I don’t want anything to happen to you, because of me.”

“Don’t worry. I’m hard to kill.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, glad she didn’t pull away from him. Her curves fit perfectly against him. “You’re determined to do this?”

“Yes, I am.”

He framed her face between his hands and whispered her name silently. He captured her stubborn lips, kissing her long and hard, afraid this would be the last time he would taste her. She balled her fingers up in his shirt. He brushed his lips over her temples, her eyes, her cheeks, the corners of her mouth, branding her every feature on his heart. Her lush heat drew him inside. The kiss deepened, turning desperate, bruising, urgent. Their tongues were hungry to claim each other. Agnes threaded her fingers through his hair. He crushed her to him, lifting her toes off the floor, then twirling her around in a final dance.

All Hoss knew was that she was his mate, a chance for him to find some happiness in one bed, rather than a host of empty ones. He’d so long denied falling for any woman, but none of them had been his fiery mate.

Agnes pulled away, panting. “We need to get going. Before he kills again.”

Hoss looked down at her flush face, wanting to memorize every line, every curve, every lash. Her parted lips begged to be taken again. What if this was last time he looked at her alive? His heart pounded faster than ultra drive, and he realized hers matched his. She was as terrified as he was, but determined to do her job. She was so brave, so foolish, so stubborn.

“Promise me you won’t die,” he said.

She sighed and looked toward the lab where her brother had gone. “You know I can’t promise that. Any call I respond to as a cop could mean my life. But what I can promise you…” She put both her hands on his cheeks and stood on her tippy toes.

He kissed her again, wishing he could make her forget this foolishness. Let him go after Daidhl.

Once again, she broke off their kiss. She ran her fingers through his hair. “I promise I’ll fight to live.”

It wasn’t what he wanted to hear, but her promise was all she would give him.