Stuck at the police station, Hoss sat miserably in a conference chair going through crime photos. His back ached where Daidhl had ripped him open, not to mention his tender neck that felt like it had been Daidhl’s favorite chew bone. With the slightest turn, the crude stitches pulled. At least the doctors hadn’t killed him.

Human blood was close to Zalarian’s but not perfect. His empty stomach churned from the blood transfusion, swishing around a burning nausea. What he needed was some alone time with his mate, so he could continue to heal. According to Damon, mates had the ability to heal each other. He hadn’t believed it until Agnes had touched his hand in the emergency room, sending a healing spark through him, reducing the agony.

That had only been a caress. What could she have done if she had kissed him? But all he could do was look at his curvy mate, who was within grabbing distance. Every instinct pushed him to take her, but they were in a small glass conference room with her brother, who watched Hoss warily.

Hoss sighed, forcing the pain and desire back into his mind. Frank had requested an isolated room away from the other investigators. And, he’d asked that Agnes be put back on the case. The captain had thought it strange, but granted the request. After all, Frank Malloy was the one asking. If Agnes had asked, she probably would have been turned down. Hoss couldn’t understand how the police couldn’t see what a smart and gifted investigator they had in Agnes.

Frank studied his team that worked diligently on the other side of the glass wall. “Do you think the unsub could be one of the investigators?”

Hoss followed his gaze. “Possibly. By the way, you can stop calling him an unsub? We know who the killer is.”

“I’m still trying to wrap my brain around that he’s an alien.”

“Deal with it,” Hoss growled. “Daidhl is getting bolder. He believes he’s unstoppable.”

“So far, he’s been right,” Frank mumbled.

Agnes examined crime photos. “There has to be something we’re missing.”

Frank tossed another photo on the table. “We’ve been through these a thousand times. Hell, the FBI computers aren’t able to figure out patterns. None of the victims had anything in common.”

“I told you that they did,” Hoss said.

Frank glared. “Oh, that’s right. They’re designated mates for your dying planet. Forgive me if I forget that little fact.”

Every muscle hurt and weariness bore down on Hoss. The condescending agent spurred his bone-tired dragon. He clenched his fists. “You’re trying my patience.”

Frank stood and slapped his hands on the table. “And you’re trying mine. According to you and my sister, the killer isn’t even human and he’s slaughtering innocent women.”

The captain frowned on the other side of the glass wall and opened the door. “Is everything all right in here?”

Frank lifted his hands. “Yes, we’re fine.” But his voice shook with anger.

“Captain, we’re just all a little tired.” Agnes glanced nervously at Frank.

“Fine,” the captain said, “but let’s keep our cool.”

Frank turned his back, obviously trying to gain control.

“Hoss,” Agnes asked. “You don’t look well. Your face is turning pale.” She gingerly put her hand over his.

Another pang of healing shot through him, enough to distract him from his stiff neck. “Just a little hungry,” he lied. Or more like a half-truth. What he needed was for her to kiss him or make love to him, but he couldn’t blurt this out. Not with her brother only a few feet away and a bunch of law enforcement outside. He’d have to suck it up.

“Would you like something to eat or drink?”

As long as I’m feasting on you.

Hoss shoved the thought behind him and in a strained voice said, “Sure.”

She glanced at Frank, who leaned over the table, studying a map of Arvada. “I could order us take-out. Would pizza be okay?”

“Fine,” he said absently.

“As long as it has meat on it,” Hoss grumbled, wishing instead he could lick every inch of her body.

“I’m sure the other investigators are starving. In the mean time, I could get us some bottled water. Frank, would you like a bottle?”

“Yeah, I would.”

She walked out of the room to check with the others. As far as Hoss could tell, no one had eaten in the past four hours. Grisly murders didn’t exactly make anyone hungry.

Frank leaned his shoulder against the wall. “My sister shouldn’t be here. She’s a caregiver. Not a cop.”

Hoss got up from the table and walked over to Frank. “You and I are going to have a serious disagreement.”

“You’re right. When this is over, if we all get out in one piece, you’re not taking my sister to your desolate planet.”

Hoss flashed his gaze over Frank and smirked. “You’re going to stop me?”

“With everything, I got in me.”

“Why? You treat her like she’s a freak.”

“She is a freak.”

Hoss crowded him against a wall. “No, she isn’t.”

“You don’t get it, do you? My father and I have tried to make her normal, so she wouldn’t get hurt. We were both afraid something would happen to her. That she’d get into some kind of trouble she couldn’t get out of.” He pushed Hoss back hard.

Pain jolted his neck and put his back in spasms. He’d underestimated Frank’s strength. Maybe there was a reason why so many cops respected him.

Frank went nose-to-nose with him, not seeming to care that Hoss was at least six inches taller. “And now, it’s come true. If she didn’t have this damn ability, none of this would have happened.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Things happen to her that don’t happen to other people. She attracts weirdness.”

Fury burned in Hoss’s heart at her brother’s disdain for Agnes’s ability. He walked away from Frank to keep from strangling his thick neck, but he thought about what the condescending agent had just said. A hunch formed in his mind… Maybe a long shot, but the idea was all that he had to go on.

“What kind of things have been attracted to her?”

“I don’t know. Ghosts, psychics, weirdos…you.”

Throbbing pain shot up Hoss’s back. He turned away and slid into a chair to look at the photos one more time. “I’ll ignore that last part, but maybe you’re on to something.”

“Excuse me?”

“Maybe the killer doesn’t know who our mates are. Maybe our mates have abilities. Maybe they’re the only ones we can mate with. And the Mistonian knows this.”

“I thought the unsub, I mean Daidhl, was one of your people?”

“He was. The Orion’s navigator.” Bitterness swept over him. “He was a good Zalarian, but he’s possessed by a Mistonian. Daidhl never would have done these things. He wasn’t a violent person.”

Frank snorted. “I bet.”

Hoss didn’t argue. The humans didn’t know Daidhl, wouldn’t know the kindness in him. Even though he annoyed the hell out of Hoss with his constant sprouting off annoying facts. He never should have been a crewmember of the Orion. He wasn’t strong enough to fight off the Mistonian. “Do you know if the other women had a psychic ability?”

“How the devil would I know?”

“Did you ever research it?”

Frank folded his arms across his chest. “No. I would think the FBI computers would come up with that fact.”

“Like Agnes, what if the women didn’t report their abilities, tried to keep them a secret? Would the computers pick that up?”

The stubbornness in Frank’s eyes left, replaced with uncertainty.

Agnes walked into the conference room. Her face pale and tears glistening in her eyes.

Both Hoss and Frank burst out, “What’s wrong?”

Agnes opened her mouth, then turned away. When she faced them, her lower lip trembled. “There’s been another murder.”

“Damn it!” Frank glowered. “Where?”

“Lutheran hospital. The admitting nurse… Betty Wible.”

“The same one who was with us when we saw Daidhl?”

Frank’s voice trailed off as if he was witnessing the event all over again.

Agnes nodded.

He looked between her and Hoss. “But that’s out of his hunting grounds.”

Agnes shook. “I told her she’d be safe.” She put a shaking hand up to wipe away her wet cheeks. “We should have…put…a guard on her.”

Not caring if he offended Frank or the other law enforcement, Hoss wrapped his arms around her quaking body. “It’s not your fault.”

She didn’t try to fight him, her fingers curling into his shirt. “He mutilated her body. It’s my fault… It’s my fault…”

Just holding her made the stiff pain in his neck decrease. He could turn his head without the stitches pulling on his flesh. The connection between them was growing stronger, moving too fast. He kissed the top of her head. “No, it’s not.”

He rubbed her back, trying to soothe her. If Frank spouted off another quip, he was liable to forget he was Agnes’s brother. But instead, Frank looked down at his shoes.

Agnes took a quivering breath. “I’m okay.”

Hoss knew she was far from okay. Her body still trembled uncontrollably, but surprisingly, her voice was strong. She was tough.

Frank cleared his throat. “Where was she found?”

Agnes straightened her shirt. “In the parking lot of Lutheran hospital underneath a pine tree.”

“Who called it in?” Frank asked.

“No one,” she said slowly. “Betty told me.”

Frank narrowed his eyes. “Betty the victim?”

Hoss put his hand on her shoulder, hoping to give her strength.

She braced her shoulders. “You heard me.”

Frank spread his arms out wide. “Is she here?”

Agnes hesitated, but then blurted, “She is! She’s standing right in front of you.”

“Bull shit.”

The air turned cold and heavy. The hair on the back of Hoss’s neck stood straight up. He looked around the room, but even with his dragon eyes, he couldn’t detect anything. Chills blew over his skin. Something was here.

Suddenly, papers flew off the table, turning into a whirlwind, then circling Frank. He staggered back, swinging his arms to ward off the attack.

“What the hell’s happening?”

“She’s angry. Really angry.” Agnes slowly turned her arm over to reveal three long red slashes.

“My Fates!” Hoss carefully examined her arm. Anger erupted inside his gut. “Leave her alone.”

Agnes put her hand over his. “Please stop. She’s not just angry. She’s still frightened. Very frightened.”

Frank gathered papers off the floor. “Why? Daidhl can’t hurt her anymore.”

Agnes pulled down her sleeve, concealing her scratches. “I know, but she can’t rest until we catch him.”

“You need to get medical attention for those wounds,” Hoss said.

“I will later. Right now, we need to go to the crime scene.”

Frank put the discarded pictures and paper onto the table. “Wait a minute. You’ve never said anything about a ghost ever scratching you before.”

Hoss frowned. “Is that true?”

“Yes. So?”

“Can you talk to her now?” Hoss asked excitedly.

“Yes, but why?”

Frank organized the papers and photos, then put them back in order. “We have a theory about the victims that we might have missed.”

Hoss cast him a warning look. Frank just couldn’t admit that he or his law enforcement officers or the computers could have passed over an important clue.

He focused on Agnes. “Frank and I think the women were psychics or had some kind of special ability. Did Betty possess this?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never encountered a spirit this powerful so soon after their death. I–” She held up her hand as if to silence them. “Betty says sometimes things would fly around when she was angry.”

Frank put the photos and reports in a folder. “That’s an understatement.”

The captain burst into the room. “We found another body.”

“Where?” Frank demanded.

“Lutheran Hospital’s north parking lot. The body was found underneath a large pine tree near the victim’s truck.”

The captain hurried out of the room, barking orders. Frank straightened his tie and cracked his neck. He clasped Agnes’s arm. “I was wrong. I’m sorry.”

Before she answered, he left. Hoss tipped up Agnes’s chin. “Maybe your brother’s not such a bad guy.”

“I never said he was. I just wanted him to believe in me.”

“I know.” Unable to resist, his lips brushed over hers, allowing himself to indulge in the moment at her sweet taste. The nausea roasting in his stomach lessened.

Agnes put her hands on his chest and pushed him away. “What are you doing? Not now.” She breathed hard, and her voice was thick with passion, not anger.

Hoss put his hand on her lower back. “Let’s go.”

They left together while Frank went with his partner. Agnes insisted on driving and despite his male pride, he allowed her. He wasn’t sure how great he would have been at driving a car anyway.

She turned out of the parking lot, the siren on top of her car screaming. “Do you think Frank’s apology means he believes what we’ve been telling him?”

He shrugged. “Maybe.”

She gripped the wheel tight, her knuckles turning white. “Figures. I was an idiot in thinking I could trust him.” She circled her head around as if trying to get rid of tension.

“Don’t write him off yet. Here, let me try.” He reached over and rested his hand on the back of her neck. “Your muscles are bunched up tighter than a constricting plake.”

“What’s a plake? Another creature on your planet?”

“Yes, its an eight-legged creature that can curl up into a tight ball.” He massaged his fingers, and she immediately raised her shoulders, as if to ward him off.

“Relax.”

“Not going to be able to until we catch the bad guy.”

He pressed his fingers deeper into her flesh, trying to work out the bunched up knots. “Listen. While you were gone, I confronted Frank about always putting you down for your abilities.”

She glanced at him. “You did?”

“Yes, I’d had enough of him bullying you.”

Gratefulness flickered in her eyes, but she didn’t say anything.

“You’ll be surprised on what he said.” The tension in her neck began to unravel. He needed to get her alone and do a deep massage that made her forget everything but his fingers.

“And?”

“He claimed that both he and your dad constantly worried about you. They were worried you’d get hurt by using your ability and that’s why they wanted you to stop. In their strange domineering way, both he and your father were trying to protect you.”

“I never got that feeling.”

“Maybe you weren’t listening.”

She jerked, knocking his hand off her shoulder. “You weren’t there, Hoss. You don’t know what it was like… The rejection, the pain, the humiliation…”

He flinched at the anger storming through her voice. She turned the car, the wheels squealing. He had to grip the door handle to keep from bashing his head onto the dashboard, and his heart slammed against his chest.

For the rest of the three minute ride, they were silent. A distant gulf formed between them, and he was powerless to stop it. He thought she’d want to know that her brother and her father had really cared for her, but he’d guessed wrong. He stepped right in the middle of a stinging set’s hill.

They drove into a parking lot, swarming with cop cars. She parked the car without saying a word and got out, slamming the door so hard the car shook.

He slowly got out, not sure how to handle her anger, but he immediately inhaled the stench of death. He hurried over to Agnes, who didn’t turn his way.

Agnes headed for a group of officers, who were huddled around a truck that was parked next to a large pine tree.

Agnes whipped out her badge. “Detective Malloy. Lead investigator.”

The officers parted. A tarp covered a body.

A tall dark officer flicked up his lapel. “Officer Jameson.” He tilted his head. “She’s over here, Detective. It’s pretty gruesome.”

“I need to see her,” Agnes said.

“Yes, ma’am.”

He led them over to the tarp and peeled back the tarp. Hoss’s stomach tightened. Agnes released a small gasp.

“Lord of mercy,” Agnes whispered.

Hoss reached for her hand, but she jerked it away.

Daidhl must have been in a frenzy of hate. Betty’s throat was savagely cut six or seven inches from left to right. She was disemboweled, her intestines lay over her right shoulder. Unfortunately, the intestine was nicked, spilling fecal matter behind her shoulder. Unlike Reese and Nybo, who had straight cuts, Betty’s cut were jagged as if Daidhl had released all of his anger. He was getting worse, more vicious, more ruthless.

Betty’s face was ghastly. The bastard had cut triangles below each eye, peeling back the flesh. They reminded Hoss of arrows pointing to the eyes. He mumbled underneath his breath, “Was there a significance to this?”

“Devil worship, possibly,” Officer Jameson answered. “Never seen anything so barbaric.”

Betty also had cuts on her eyelids. The left one was at least a half-inch long.

The ground was soaked with her blood. From the waist down, she was naked.

“Did you find her pants or underwear?” Agnes asked.

Officer Jameson shook his head. “No. We haven’t found anything around the body.”

Agnes glanced at Hoss. “I’m betting he took some organs.”

“Can I talk to you in private?”

She nodded and allowed him to lead her away.

“Did Betty tell you what was missing?” he asked.

“No, but I can see why she’s so angry. I wished he’d gone after me rather than her.” Her voice was soaked in guilt.

An image of Agnes having her face carved up, organs slashed out of her body, and her throat grisly cut, flashed in his mind, sucking the air out of his lungs. Anger and fear surged through him like an exploding star. He gripped her arms tight, not caring who saw. “Never. Never. Say that.” He shook her hard, trying to knock some sense into her guilt ridden soul.

“Hoss, stop.”

He growled, the dragon threatening to burst through. “Do you hear me? I won’t lose you.”

“Hoss, please.”

Suddenly, he inhaled the sharp smell of sour milk. He abruptly stopped, but wrapped his arm around her waist pinning her to him. Several officers gave them strange looks.

Officer Jameson approached them. He gave Hoss a dubious look. “Detective, is anything amiss?”

Agnes gritted her teeth. “Hoss, will you release me? You’re embarrassing me.”

“Sorry.” He reluctantly obeyed. The sourness was growing stronger. “Do you smell it?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “Daidhl’s definitely here. He could be anybody, or he could be invisible.”

“Stay close.”

Frank and his partner, Jeff Holmes, arrived, and hurried over to the crime scene.

“Oh God, Jeff. I smell spoiled milk.” Frank pulled out his gun.

“So?”

“The killer’s here.”

Jeff looked around, his steely gray eyes scanning the parking lot. “Are you sure? I don’t see anyone suspicious.”

“I told you, he smells like spoiled milk.”

“And I told you you’re crazy.”

But Frank wasn’t looking at Jeff. He was staring over Agnes’s head, his face pale.. “Shit, Agnes! Move!”

Officer Jameson’s brown eyes turned gold, and he opened his mouth to reveal sharp, jagged teeth. “You’re dead, Detective.”

The evil voice was loud enough to catch the officers, who all pulled out their police specials.

Jameson lunged for Agnes, his hand turning into a claw. He scratched Agnes, his talons ripping through her shirt and flesh. She cried out, holding her arm. Blood seeped through her fingers.

Hoss yanked Agnes out of the way, shoving her behind him.

Hoss growled. “You’ll pay for that, Daidhl.”

Jameson released a mechanical laugh, stirring Hoss’s rage. Puffs of smoke exhaled out of his flaring nostrils. He tried to transform, sweat rolling down his face, but his muscles and bones wouldn’t move. He was trapped in humanoid form. It had to be the damn human blood.

“You’re too weak to stop me.” Jameson swung, his fist hitting Hoss square in the jaw. He fell to the ground, smashing his head against the pavement. The world swam around him.

Frank roared, “No!” He ran toward Jameson, firing repeatedly.

“Don’t!” Hoss yelled as pushed himself up. “You’ll only make him mad.”

Frank stepped in front of Agnes, shielding her with his body. Ignoring Hoss, Frank continued blasting Jameson. The noise was deafening, blocking out Hoss’s pleas for Frank to stop.

Bullets riddled Jameson’s body. He released an angry shriek, then vanished.

“Die, Agent Malloy.”

Frank flew back almost twenty feet.

“Frank!” Agnes screamed.

His gun fired into the air, and he crashed into his car. Blood gushed down his nose like a wild river. His eyes fluttered shut.

Realization slammed into Hoss. While everyone else was stunned, including Frank’s partner, Frank hadn’t panicked and had jumped into action, sacrificing himself to save his sister. He really was a hero.

Hoss managed to pull out his eruptor and aimed it where Jameson had last stood, but if he wasn’t there, he’d kill the stunned officers.

Blood drained from Jeff’s face. “Holy shit!” He whirled around, waving his gun in search of a visible target.

“Get control of yourself!” Hoss glared, afraid the idiot would start shooting wildly.

Agnes ran over to her brother’s crumpled body. “Frank! Frank!”

Her tough exterior shattered into a thousand pieces.

Hoss swayed as he followed her. “Stay calm. Terror is what Daidhl wants.” He tightened his grip on his eruptor ready to blast Daidhl into the Netherland if he made another ugly appearance.

Jeff rushed past Hoss and pulled out a radio. “Agent down. Send the paramedics.” He gestured toward the shocked officers. “Fan out.”

They came out of their stupor and followed his orders with guns pointed ahead, slowly moving across the perimeter of the parking lot.

Hoss fell next to Agnes. “I’m sorry.”

Tears streaked her face. “I can’t believe it. He risked his life for me.”

“I know.” He’d never forget what Frank did for her. He hadn’t been lying. He really did care for his sister.

“He can’t die. He just can’t.”

“You need to stay calm. Daidhl could be lurking, ready to attack again.”

She shook her head. “Betty says he’s gone.”

“Why didn’t she say something earlier?”

She wiped her cheeks. “I told you. She’s frightened, afraid that Daidhl can still hurt her.”

Her voice was calm, but frustration flickered in her eyes and her jaw was set taut.

“She damned well could be right,” Hoss muttered.

“Frank, Frank! Can you hear me?” Agnes clasped her brother’s hand. “Please, don’t leave me.” She bowed her head.

Although he felt like he’d been just thrown around in a black hole, Hoss’s senses were on red alert–his ears keen, his eyes eager, his fists ready… Ready to protect his mate at all cost. What if he couldn’t transform into a dragon? Daidhl would be unstoppable. Hoss needed help.

A siren shrieked and rotating red lights lit up the dreary lot.

“The place is secure,” Jeff stated, but his voice shook. Obviously, the man wasn’t totally convinced.

Hoss hid his bitter laugh. The idiot didn’t know how wrong he could be. Daidhl could be watching, despite what Betty’s ghost said. Betty wasn’t exactly stable.

The paramedics rushed over to Frank with a stretcher, while Agnes was still holding his hand.

“Excuse me, ma’am.”

“Yes, of course.” She released Frank’s hand.

She watched them examine Frank and check his vital signs with a sorrowful gaze. Hoss wanted to tell her words of comfort, but none came to mind. She clasped Hoss’s hand with her shaking one. He squeezed hers, hoping to send her comfort.

She raised her chin. Tears and anger glistened in her eyes. “We need to end this.”

“I promise you we will.”

He frowned. There was no weapon on Earth that could kill a Mistonian. He needed to contact Taog. He recalled another Mistonian invading Earth and mere humans had destroyed it, but he couldn’t remember how they had done it. Studying history wasn’t his forte. The creature hadn’t possessed the same great powers of Daidhl, but it would be a start.

Agnes’s captain approached them. Hoss didn’t remember him being here. Was this the captain or was it Daidhl again?

He spotted the brown sedan and thought perhaps it was the captain’s, but wasn’t sure. He thought that Frank had been driving that car.

The captain looked down at Frank as the paramedics worked on his still body. “Agnes,” he said softly. “Go with Frank.” He gestured toward Betty’s corpse. “For now, there’s nothing else you can do. Go with Frank. He needs you.”

Agnes bit her lip. “Thanks, Captain. You’ll keep me in contact, especially with what the coroner finds?”

“Of course. And I am sorry, Agnes. Frank was one of the best.”

She puffed out her chest. “He’s a Malloy. He’s not dead yet, Captain.”

The captain bowed his head. “Yes, you’re right.”

Hoss sniffed, but didn’t detect anything sour, but then again, he hadn’t detected the scent earlier until it was too late. He wasn’t sure if this person was the captain. He had get Agnes far away from him.

Daidhl had said she was next.

“Come on, Agnes.” Hoss forced himself to keep his voice normal. “We’ll follow behind the ambulance.”

Agnes glanced over at Betty’s exposed body. “If Frank dies, I’ll kill the bastard.”

Death reflected in her eyes. She meant it. And Hoss would be at her side to rip out the Mistonian’s black heart.