Page 45 of Taken for Granite
“No, it’s not that.” She gripped the wheel. The greasy burger and friends sat heavy in her stomach. She had no right to feel this way, no right to want him to stay, and yet she couldn’t bring herself to complete the last leg of the journey.
She stared straight ahead, finding the words easier if she didn’t look at him. “I want you to come with me and Chloe.”
* * *
tas
He sighed. He wanted to stay with her, more than he craved the wind or the sky, but his sigil had a message from Duras. The rescue beacon had finally been activated. Most likely, rescue was coming; he just did not know when or where. Promising to stay with his mate was foolish and shortsighted when he could be on a ship to Duras tomorrow.
Unless she agreed to come with him. Could he convince her to leave Earth for an unknown world? She would insist on bringing her youngling. Would she agree when she had to consider more than herself?
Juniper was not his life mate, hisHondassa. The instant Tas thought it, he realized it was a lie. He made a pledge to Juniper. She was his. His heart and body belonged to her. How could he leave her behind?
One gargantuan problem at a time, he told himself. First, retrieve the sigil. Then worry about life-altering decisions.
Tas shifted in his seat and pointed to the traffic light. “If you take a right at the corner, I’ll give you directions.”
“You’re not even going to talk about this, are you?” With a sigh, she turned the engine over.
“We will discuss this, but not in the vehicle.” He would have to remind his mate she belonged to him, thoroughly and preferably without clothes. Doing so would require all his concentration and her on her back and perhaps on her knees.
She followed his directions. When he spotted the motel sign, she pulled into the lot.
“Go in and get us a room,” he said.
“I thought we were making the exchange tonight.” She glanced at the clock embedded in the dashboard.
“And we will—but first, the room.” He waggled his fingers until she rolled her eyes and undid the safety harness.
“You’re lucky I find this high-handedness amusing,” she muttered.
Barely fifteen minutes later, she returned with the room key. They parked in front of the room and Tas instructed her to remove their supplies from the van.
“No, you’re going to tell me what’s going on,” she said.
This female.
“I will return to you after the exchange. I have modified the plan,” he said.
“You will? You have?”
“I did not say. I apologize. I am not in the habit of sharing my plans with others. I have not had a superior officer in a long time.” He thought of the few ranking officers who survived the crash, of General Zaek and Major Drayvus, but he had not seen the males for centuries. “You will conduct the exchange as agreed.”
“But—”
“And you will return with your youngling to this room. You will wait for two nights. If I have not returned by the dawn of the third morning, you will know I am unable to join you.”
“Will you, though? What’s to stop you from flying away?”
He pulled her to him until their foreheads touched. His breath mingled with hers. “Because you are my pebble and you have my heart. I will always return to you.”
“Okay,” she said, after a long moment. “I believe you.”
His sweet female.
“How did you even find this place? It’s not on the main road.”
“Mabel told me.”
