Page 69 of The Alien Reindeer's Bounty
Mads shifted uncomfortably, wondering how many females his uncle had taken for research.
“He hasn’t stopped his research,” Svallin said, sensing Mads’ thoughts.
“No.”
Growling, Svallin sprang to his feet. “Is this an attempt at Earth humor?”
He paced from the unconscious female to the warehouse, like he wanted to pull the doors down and search through the flames for evidence. Acrid smoke hung thick in the air.
“You clearly do not understand humor if you think an abducted unconscious woman and a fire is humorous.” Sometimes the broad, physical aspect of human comedy eluded him. He did not understand how a species could find their own clumsiness to be amusing.
Svallin turned toward Mads, shoving a finger in the center of his bare chest. “Was this entire scene a delay tactic? Did you stall to allow the rogue to escape?”
Mads knocked the male’s hand away. When it came to hand-to-hand combat, Svallin might have the advantage of reach with his height but Mads had speed and superior skill. “I delayed but not for his escape.”
Svallin growled, hands fisted at his side. “Explain.”
“I had no intention of finding the old bull for you. If I wasted enough time, you would terminate the mission.” And then he’d slip away.
The male charged Mads, shoving him against the vehicle. It rocked with the force of impact. “Why do you insist on helping that traitor?” he growled.
“Traitor? Karl is working to save our people and you abandoned him.” Mads pushed Svallin away, sending the male stumbling backward. Hopefully, Svallin would get the message that he couldn’t physically intimidate Mads; he didn’t want to hurt his friend.
“He abandoned us.”
“Because he refused to quit his research,” Mads said. He glanced toward the unconscious female. Defending his uncle was an untenable position.
“Is that what he told you? What other lies did he spin?”
“His research—”
“His research,” Svallin spat out the word like it tasted bitter, “was reckless and unethical. His reports were filled with nonsensical ramblings. That is why the Council removed support.”
The two males stared at each other in a contest of wills. Sirens sounded in the distance. Svallin turned toward the noise.
“Fire brigade,” Mads explained. He quickly dressed, then removed the oxygen mask from the female and shoved it in a pocket. The humans did not need to discover a piece of reilendeer tech.
“He took a human mate,” Svallin said. “Just to see if it was possible. Did you know that?”
“Aunt Shelly. I do not recall much of her.”
“Because he opened up her brain to see if it changed after completing the mate bond.”
Stunned disbelief rolled through him. “No, he would not—”
“I saw the recordings.” Svallin scrubbed at his eyes and his shoulders slumped. “It was gruesome, and Karl acted as casually as if he were slicing into fruit, not a brain. So that’s why the Council pulled support: Karl decided to butcher humans.”
“He said we grow cruel without the mate bond.” Mads could not imagine the heartlessness needed to murder his mate, to vivisect her and then send recorded evidence of his atrocity like it was some interesting bit of knowledge and not a horrendous crime.
Nausea boiled in his gut.
“I did not know, and I did not willfully aid his crimes. I believed him to be harmless,” Mads said, desperate for his friend to believe him.
Svallin made no reply as the ambulance arrived, followed by the fire department. They moved back and briefed the EMTs on the female’s condition. One tried to give them oxygen, but they refused.
“Does he have another lair?” Svallin asked.
“Most likely. He made mention of having friends on the Council, who still believed in his work.”
