Hoss’s dragon ears detected screaming police cars and fire trucks. He groaned inwardly. He’d be back in jail soon again with Arvada’s rejects.

The police darted out of their cars. The side door of a black van slid opened, and men, wearing helmets and a heavy suit of body armor, poured out of it armed with tactical rifles. They fanned around the café, pointing their weapons. A red dot fell onto Hoss’s chest. His lungs sucked in air rapidly as if trying to escape from being a target. He stood perfectly still, not wanting to make a single, threatening move. If he were a dragon, the bullets wouldn’t be able to penetrate his thick hide, but in this form, they’d rip through his flesh.

Damn, he couldn’t risk going for his eruptor without drawing their rapid fire.

“I’m not the enemy,” he said, but she looked at him as if he had four heads. He cursed himself for blurting out that Daidhl was an alien. She was too by-the-book to believe in the impossible.

“Maybe,” she murmured. She studied the bag, completely dismissing him. Her lips were pursed shut tight and her skin taut.

A tremor rippled in his cheek. Rather than winning Agnes’s trust, he’d just earned her skepticism.

When he entered the café, he hadn’t smelled any sourness, but then again, the cafe was filled with delightful aromas that could have masked it. He had to admit he was distracted by Agnes with her curvy body and her sexy scent.

He frowned. The first time he got a whiff of Daidhl’s odor it had been very faint. Had the Mistonian discovered a way to hide its stench?

Two men wearing green body armor and helmets entered the café, while the others spread their arms wide to force people back.

One of them gestured toward Hoss. “Hands in the air.”

Once again, Hoss forced himself to comply.

“The bag.” Agnes pointed. “A man asked one of the barristers to give it to Hoss, who claims he’s never met the man. I just have a gut feeling about it.”

Hoss lifted his eyebrow. “Claims?”

“Gut feeling?” one of the armed men asked.

She ignored his quizzical face and concentrated on the suspicious bag. “There’s something terribly wrong with the bag. I know it.”

Two of the armored men looked at each other as if they thought she was short of brain cells. Hoss didn’t think a bomb was inside, but if it was from the creature, it couldn’t be good.

“Detective,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a bomb, but if the bag is from the creature, it’s something awful.”

“Creature?” one of the men asked.

Hoss cursed his stupidity.

“Is this some kind of joke?”

“No.” Agnes motioned toward the bag. “Peter, I think it’s from the Arvada killer.”

Peter tilted his head into a tiny radio that was attached to his uniform. “We need to know what’s in a bag.”

“Ten-four. We’ll send in Simon.”

“Just to let you know, Captain Morgan’s on his way, so I hope you’re right about this.”

“I am. My suspicions haven’t been wrong yet.” Her face paled a little, but she squared her stance like a warrior.

“There’s always a first time,” he muttered.

Agnes wiped her sweaty palms on her pants.

Hoss glared at Tom, who averted his gaze.

A third man entered that Hoss supposed was Simon, carrying a metal box. “You need to move away in case it goes off.”

A brown sedan with a siren on top rolled into the parking lot. Two men jumped out–Agnes’ scowling partner, Tom, and a tall bald man with crunched thick eyebrows. They rushed toward them. Hoss groaned. He definitely was going back to the dreary cell.

Agnes clasped his arm, and another spark made him jerk, but it wasn’t painful. This time, it was pleasurable, igniting lust between his legs. Images of him seducing Agnes and doing wild things to her flashed in his mind, making his cock grow hard. Sweat glistened over him, and he squirmed underneath his clothes. He fought the urge to kidnap her and make do on those images. Damon had said mating was like nothing he’d ever experience, but he’d never watched his father crumple with grief, either.

By her squirming in her clothes like he did, he knew she felt it too, but neither said a word. They moved outside while Simon set up a tripod and put the metal box on top. He screwed and locked it, then aimed the box at the flowery bag. It was cruder and bulkier than anything they had on board the Orion. If Hoss could have pulled out his transrecorder, he could have discovered the contents of the box, but he doubted anyone would give him half a chance.

The bald man demanded, “What’s happening, Malloy?”

“Captain, there’s a suspicious package inside Starbucks. I was interrogating a person of interest–”

Hoss gritted his teeth and turned away, annoyed she still considered him the enemy.

“When an unidentified man delivered a package to Hoss–I mean Anonghos, he reported that he didn’t know him. I had a feeling–”

Her captain glowered. “You brought out the SWAT team and the fire department and escorted all these terrified people out of a public place over a damn feeling?”

His voice chirped high like a screeching bingle.

She met his hostile glare and tilted her chin. “Yes, sir, I did.”

“You better be right on this,” he warned.

Simon came outside, holding a twelve-inch flat screen device.

“Simon.” The captain motioned. “Tell me what you’ve got.”

“Yes, sir,” he said.

The captain glanced at the screen. “Well, is it a bomb or not?”

Simon shook his head. “No, it’s not a bomb. Some red blobby thing is in a plastic bag. Based on this, I can’t tell what it is.”

Tom crowded next to the captain. “I swear that almost looks like a piece of meat.”

Bitterness burned Hoss’s belly. Something dreadful was inside. Something that would create terror.

Agnes shivered next to him and dug her fingernails into his flesh.

He flinched, but didn’t look at her. He wanted to comfort her, but knowing the little bit he knew of her, she wouldn’t want to look like a helpless female in front of these scowling men. He bet when she was alone is when she broke down. When no one could see the toll the job put on her––the frustration, the terror, the helplessness… He knew those feelings all too well.

She slowly released the fingers that had dug into his arm.

“So, Simon, is it safe to go inside?”

Her voice was back to the hardened detective. Even if she were reluctant to go inside, like him, she wouldn’t allow her fear to keep her from doing her duty.

He nodded. “Yes.”

She motioned with her arm. “Captain?”

“Check it out.” He pulled a radio off his belt.

Hoss followed her. She whirled around on her heels so fast he ran into her.

“You, stay outside.” She tilted her head.

The captain snapped his fingers. “Watch him.”

Five armored police surrounded him. He could easily see over their heads as he watched Tom and Agnes enter the café. He should be with her, not the old man. She was his mate, and it was his job to protect her.

The murmuring crowd had grown quiet. Only the zooming cars driving passed the café broke the silence.

Hoss held his breath and clenched his fists tight.

Agnes reached the brightly colored bag first, her face grim. She slowly pulled out the tissue paper, then immediately put her hand over her mouth. Tom turned his head away, his face gray.

She slowly reached into her jacket and pulled out a portable walkie-talkie––such a primitive device.

“Captain, we need forensics in here.”

The captain spoke softly into his radio. “What is it?”

“I think it’s an organ.”

“I’ll send in a team. In the meantime, we need statements from all the people that had been in Starbucks.”

Tom and Agnes came out immediately, both their faces pale.

“What about him?” Tom motioned toward Anonghos.

His narrowed eyes and growling tone left little doubt that he thought Anonghos knew more than he was letting on.

“Arrest him and take him to headquarters.”

“On what charge?” Anonghos refused to cower from the scowling captain.

“We’re not charging you with anything…yet. You’re a person of interest and we have questions. Lots of questions.”

“Do I get to call my attorney?”

“In good time.”

Agnes’s eyes widened. “Kathy will be pissed if she’s not notified immediately.”

“Don’t lecture me, Detective. I said he’d get to talk to her soon. Don’t you have some witnesses to interrogate?”

Unfortunately, Hoss was quickly handcuffed again and led away before he could say anything to her. He was shoved in a squad car and taken to headquarters. His weapon and transrecorder were confiscated, but instead of being put in a cell, he was taken to another interrogation room and handcuffed to a table.

The room was stark white, and he faced the infamous one-way mirror, so whoever was inside could examine him as if he were one of Zalara’s tiny purple scets under a microscope.

After an hour, he’d been permitted to contact his attorney, who would undoubtedly get him released again or at least be present during questioning. But all he could think about was Agnes.

Whether she knew it or not, she needed him. The man who had given him the bag definitely hadn’t been Daidhl. Either he’d convinced the man to give it to him or it had been Daidhl in disguise. But how? Daidhl was a thin navigator. That man looked like he could have been one of Hoss’s guards.

The door quietly opened and Agnes stepped inside. Her face was still ashen and weariness reflected in her eyes. She slid into a chair across from him.

“You look exhausted.”

“Your attorney will be here shortly.”

“Did you find out what was in the bag?”

“Yes,” she said wearily as she flicked her hair back. “And who it belonged to.”

Her voice was so soft he barely heard her.

Kathy Strong barged in the room. This time her hair was pulled into a neat bun. She had her same trusty brief case and wore the same crisp blue suit. “Agnes, you know better than to ask my client questions without his attorney being present. Just because we’re friends, doesn’t give you the right to take advantage of the situation.”

Agnes glared. “I wasn’t, Kathy. I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize my case, and you know it.”

Hoss raised his hands to stop the two from getting into a nasty grendor fight. “She hasn’t asked me anything yet. Let’s not come to blows, ladies.”

They both gave him a scowl that made him want to go into the corner with his tail between his legs.

Kathy opened her brief case and pulled out a yellow notepad. “Good. Proceed, Agnes.”

Agnes put her hands on the table and folded them. “Did you know what was in the bag?”

Kathy nodded. “Go ahead and answer.”

Hoss shook his head. “No. Not exactly.”

Agnes leaned closer. “What do you mean not exactly?”

“I was at the crime scene, Agnes.”

“It’s Detective Malloy,” she corrected him. “Only my friends call me Agnes.”

Damn, back to formalities again.

“I overheard that it was an organ and not a bomb.”

“Do you know what kind of an organ it was?”

“No.”

“Do you know whose organ it was?”

“No.”

“Do you know the man who gave you the bag?”

“No.”

“Did you tell anyone that you were going to be at Starbucks?”

“No.”

He frowned. His gut twisted into a ball. That was a good point. The man was there before Agnes and him. How had Daidhl known they would have been there?

“Detective,” Kathy interrupted. “Do you have any evidence tying my client to the organ or the obvious murder of the victim?”

Agnes hung her head. “No, I don’t.”

“Unless you plan on charging my client, we’re done here. Release him.”

Agnes pulled a key out of her pocket and unlocked Hoss’s handcuffs. “I suggest you not be at any more crime scenes.”

“If you’ll excuse us, Agnes,” Kathy said. “I’d like to be alone with my client in another room. One without a one-way mirror.”

Agnes stood and motioned toward the door. “This way, Kathy.”

Even though the two were on the opposite sides of the law, Agnes’s voice had softened when she spoke to her friend––unlike when she’d spoken to him.

They were such a sharp contrast to each other. Kathy was a slender, muscular attorney, while Agnes was chubbier, the kind of woman who a man could be himself with. With her, he wouldn’t have to prove anything. But the old hurt returned, worming into his melting heart. His father had felt that way about his mother, and she betrayed him, breaking him.

He followed them behind, not being able to take his eyes off Agnes’s curvy ass. He’d seen too many perfect asses like Kathy’s. He grew hot thinking about caressing her behind, then digging his fingers into her flesh as he slammed into her. He bet he could squeeze her tight, and she’d wouldn’t cry out in pain like the others. He hadn’t meant to hurt them, but sometimes he forgot about his strength and gripped their butts too hard.

What was he thinking? Love only caused heartbreak. He had to remember that, but every time he was around Agnes, he wanted to take her into his arms and kiss her worries away. Sex wasn’t love. Every time he took a woman, he repeated that. No matter how he felt. It had to be the same with Agnes. He refused to be a broken dragon like his father.

Agnes opened a door to a small interrogation room with no one-way mirror. Kathy entered first. When Hoss swept past Agnes, he inhaled her flowery feminine scent that reminded him of the purple chisery fields back home that melted away his stress.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” she said as she closed the door.

He slid in a chair across from his attorney.

She lifted her eyebrow. “This is becoming a pattern, don’t you think?”

“Possibly.”

She put her hands flat on the table. “You need to talk to me.”

He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. “Why? So, I can be locked up in one of their little cells?”

“We have client-attorney privilege. You can trust me. What you tell me stays in here.”

She seemed in earnest and so far, talking with Agnes had gotten him nowhere. Maybe he needed another tactic and be more direct. “She’s in danger.”

“Who?”

“Detective Malloy.”

“Agnes?” She narrowed her eyes. “Are you threatening her? I won’t let you hurt her. She’s been hurt enough.”

Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to pursue this tidbit, but tucked it in the back of his mind. “I am trying to save her.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because the killer is going to come after her.”

Uneasiness flittered in her eyes. “What makes you so sure?”

“Because she’s my mate and the killer plans to kill every mate destined for Zalarians. Daidhl wants to wipe out our race.”

“I’m not sure I understand,” she said slowly.

“No, I’m not human. I am from the planet Zalara.”

She hung her head. “So, you think you’re from outer space?”

“You can’t tell anyone what I say?”

“I just said that.”

“Yes, I am from outer space.”

She put her hands on the table and looked at him as if he needed to be locked away. “Hoss, you’re delusional. You need help.”

“I don’t. I can prove it.” Or at least he hoped he could. He looked around the small space. It’d be cramped, but he could transform.

“How?”

“You need to move away from the table.”

She scowled. “Why? What are you going to do?”

He opened his jacket. “They took all my weapons. I’m not going to hurt you, but I need someone to believe me. Agnes isn’t listening. She’s in danger, and I have to protect her before she gets herself killed.”

“If I do this, will you promise to let me help you?”

“Sure. Move against the wall.”

She rolled her eyes, but did as he asked. Like Agnes, she thought he was nuts. Humans really did believe they were the only life in the universe. Their arrogance never ceased to amaze him.

He carefully placed the table and chairs alongside her, blocking her escape. Not very smart on her part if he were a killer, but then again, she’d no reason to believe him.

He blocked the door, then pulled on his dragon powers. His bones and muscles crunched and stretched. He transformed into a dragon, but he could barely fit in the tiny room. His tail was scrunched underneath him. His wings were wedged against the wall and his shoulders touched the ceiling. He’d had to bend his head so low that the tip of his nose was right in front of Kathy’s terrified face. He inhaled her fear that was mixed with a spicy perfume.

She screamed, her eyes twice as big as a saucer. “You’re…You’re a dragon!”

Pounding feet raced outside, then someone slammed their fists against the door repeatedly. The doorknob clicked, but didn’t open.

“Kathy, are you all right? Open the door.”

Hoss cringed. It was Agnes.

The door pressed against his back-side, but his body was squished against it, preventing it from moving further than an inch.

He quickly transformed back into a man. “Obviously. Still think I’m crazy?”

“No, I am.” Sweat glistened off Kathy’s forehead.

The door busted open, and Agnes and two other officers entered, their guns drawn.

Agnes glared at him. “What the hell is going on in here?”

Kathy shook her head. “Nothing. There was a big spider, and Hoss stepped on it.”

Agnes still had her gun pointed at Hoss, but she looked at Kathy. “Are you sure? You’re white as a ghost.”

“I’m fine.” Kathy sat in a chair, her hands trembling. “I have a…a….fear of spiders.”

Agnes lifted her eyebrow. “Really? That’s a new one. Ever since I’ve known you, you’ve tried to scooped them up on a piece of paper and released them outside. When did you develop this phobia?”

“This was one was really big.”

Her voice squeaked like a creaky door.

“Why don’t I believe you?”

Kathy lifted her chin. “Please, leave us.”

Agnes slowly put her gun back into her sheath as the two other officers left grumbling out the door. She put her hand on Kathy’s shoulder. “I’ll be right down the hall if you need me.”

Her warning voice was meant for Hoss as she patted her gun.

He wasn’t sure how he was going to convince Agnes to trust him. Every time he tried to make her believe, he pushed her farther away.

Kathy pulled a tissue out of her purse and dabbed her forehead with her shaking hand. “Believe me, I’ll yell if I need you.”

“Would you like a glass of water?”

Kathy nodded. “Actually, I would.” She was breathing hard and her face was still pasty.

“I’ll be right back.” Agnes kept the door open, as if to make sure that Hoss wouldn’t do anything stupid.

Hoss stood against the wall, not moving, not wanting to scare Kathy again.

Kathy glanced at him. “Just give me a few minutes.”

“Take your time.”

Agnes returned with the glass of water. “Here, Kathy.”

“Thank you.”

She gave Hoss a warily look. “Do you want me to stay here?”

Kathy shook her head. “No, I need to talk with my client.”

“Are you sure?” She rubbed her back. “You still look like a ghost.”

Kathy braced her shoulders. “You’re interfering with attorney client privilege.”

Agnes hesitated, but she left. Obviously, her trust meter for him was minus twelve.

“Please sit down,” Kathy urged. “You’re making me a little nervous.”

“I won’t transform.” He held up two fingers. “I promise.” He put the table in front of her and set the other chair on the other side. He sat slowly. “So, do you want to hear my story?”

“Well, you’ve proved you’re not human.”

He glanced up at the clock. Time was wasting away and who knew what his little detective was planning. But he forced himself to be patient. He needed Kathy’s help. “Like I said, I’m a Zalarian. We don’t mean you any harm, and the United Planet Confederation has charged us with protecting Earth.”

“From whom?”

“The Kamtrinians. They want to destroy all life on Earth and claim your planet.”

She took another sip of the water, her hand shaking. “Is that who is killing the women?”

“No. We have a protective shield that goes around your planet that they can’t penetrate. The killer is a possessed Zalarian. He used to be our peaceful navigator, but now another alien–a Mistonian–has taken over his body, forcing him to murder. I believe Daidhl is dead and only his empty shell is left behind. This creature not only kills, but feeds on fear.”

She put her shaking fingers on her temples and rubbed them. “I don’t understand.”

“Its food is emotions, and unfortunately, this one prefers fear.”

“This sounds like something out of Star Trek.”

The minutes dragged on, and he tired of this. He needed to get to Agnes, not sit glued in this chair. “I don’t know what that is.”

He couldn’t hide the impatience in his voice.

Kathy scooted her chair further away from the table. “Never mind. Why is it here?”

He forced himself to keep the frustration out of his voice. “The Kamtrinians wiped out all of the women on Zalara. We’re dying as a race unless we mate with our designated mates. The Fates–our Goddesses–know who our mates are. We can’t mate with just any human.”

“Agnes is yours?”

“Yes.”

“This is just too strange. I’m having a hard time absorbing what you’re telling me.”

“If you don’t help me, the Mistonian will go after her. I won’t be able to mate with anyone else.”

“I’m not worried about you. I’m worried about Agnes.”

“I didn’t mean to sound callous.”

She leaned back in her chair. “Let me get this straight. The two women who have been murdered were someone’s intended mate on Zalara?”

“Unfortunately, yes. Somehow the Kamtrinians have figured out how to determine our mates. Or they’ve discovered a species that can do it for them, which is disturbing. We don’t even know who our mates are until the ceremony. But our Queen said that the Mistonian had hidden abilities. I fear one is predicting the future. One he definitely has is invisibility.”

Her face turned whiter than the walls. “You’re kidding? So, you can’t track him?”

“It’s almost impossible. The only thing I’ve discovered is that he has a distinct smell of sourness. Here, I believe it would be like sour milk, but it’s very faint.”

“Great, that’s not helpful.”

He shrugged. “It’s the best I’ve got. I need you to convince Agnes to trust me. When I’ve touched her, I’ve sensed a power within her. Or maybe it’s between us. But if she doesn’t trust me, he’s going to hunt her.”

Kathy studied him. “That’s strange you sensed a power within her. She’s psychic.”

“Meaning?”

“She can see the undead.”

“That must come in handy as a cop.”

“You would think, but definitely not here. Her brother and dad never accepted her gift. They were both cops. The police don’t believe in her ability. In fact, she gets shunned if she even mentions it. She’s very sensitive about what she can do.”

“Humans are strange. On Zalara, this would be considered a valuable gift.”

She turned up a corner of her mouth. “We’re not on Zalara, are we?”

“Nope, we’re not.”

“What do you want me to do?”

He glanced up at the ticking clock, warning him that time was of the essence. His knee bounced to the annoying rhythm. “I need to get Agnes alone with me. Will you help me?”

“You promise not to hurt her?”

He took her shaking hand in his and squeezed gently. “I’d never do anything to hurt her. She’s my mate.”

She stared at him as if she were trying to decide whether he were innocent or guilty. He held his breath.

She didn’t answer right away. The clicking clock banged away at his nerves.

“I’ll hold you to that, Zalarian.”

He exhaled loudly.

She wiggled her hand out of his. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Am I free to go then?” He stood so fast he knocked the chair over. She gasped and jumped nearly six-inches out of her seat. The empty glass of water fell off the table.

“God, you scared a year off me.” She put her trembling hand over her heart.

“Sorry.” He nervously tapped his foot. “So, can I go?”

She nodded. “Absolutely. Where are you staying?”

He smiled. “I’m around.”

“How will you contact me?”

Her small voice betrayed that she wasn’t the self-assured attorney anymore, but she also wasn’t running screaming. He had to admit he respected her. He winked. “Don’t worry. I’ll find you.”

“I was afraid of that.”

He hated not opening his secret to Agnes first, but she forced him to play his hand. If he couldn’t get her directly, he’d get her through the back door.