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“It’s probably hiding somewhere. Waiting for another chance to have at you now that you’re marked,” I lied.

All the color left her face as she appeared mortified by my response. Truth was, I had gutted the beast from tail to throat. The beast’s pack would find his remains soon. I hope they took the carnage as a warning not to track me.

“Well, shouldn’t you be trying to get away from me since I’m marked by the beast or whatever?”

“You’re also marked as breeder or do I need to remind you,” I replied.

“How dare you?” Her mouth was pursed tightly and her fists were clenched. Her short brown hair was the color of the deep woods, filled with trees. Her russet eyes burned through me. “You hunted me down just like that beast, you barbaric animal.”

“Except I don’t play around. According to my calculations, you’ve been giving him a good chase since day break.”

She huffed.

“The male Barbs are strange that way. They play with their…victims…before they actually pounce,” I told her. “It could’ve had it’s way with you hours ago.”

She shuddered. “You know what? Same me the details on how I could’ve been raped by an animal out here. If you’re going to kill me, then just go ahead and get it over with.”

“I wasn’t sent to kill you.”

She frowned. “What were you sent for, then? What will you do with me?”

I grunted. I could tell her all the ways I could ruin her day, but I decided against it. I got what I wanted. This human was too easy to break. I could tell.

“Whatever I want.”

Her face drained of color. Her otherwise flushed and rosy cheeks turned a stark pale white, almost translucent. She turned an unflattering grayish/green color, looking like she might vomit.

“I know I must seem guilty as hell after running, but I didn’t kill him…I swear. I’m not a murderer.”

“I smell his blood on you.” And other things.

Her feminine scent was irresistible and driving me crazy.

She shook her head with fervent denial. Her shoulders wilted like a dying flower. “Poor Roult…”

“Who killed him then, if not you? You reek of his blood. If you didn’t kill him—you better tell me who did.”

I stared deep into her eyes, searching them for truth. Her aura was practically impossible to read.

“You’ll let me go if I do?” she asked, feebly.

I nodded. “The aliens were cloaked. That’s who did it.”

I looked at her with increasing doubt. “Cloaked aliens, you say?” I almost laughed, but none of this was funny. My uncle was dead.

“Yes.” She nodded once, giving me an adamant stare. “They came into the podhouse in the middle of the night. I don’t know how they got there. I was getting ready for bed. We…I just…He was in his room and I thought he was calling it a night too. I didn’t even hear anything. When I came to, I was tied up and I felt drugged…like…” The human trailed off, suppressing a sob. “I didn’t see their faces. They kept the hoods draped over their faces the entire time. They spoke in a different language—”

“How did you manage to escape?” I questioned. “Why didn’t they kill you too? It seems unlikely that you would be able to get away, judging by the mousy demeanor you’re displaying to me.”

I meant this as a dig to her, but it also proved that maybe she wasn’t capable of committing such a violent crime at all. I still had more questions than answers and it was giving me a splitting headache.

She hung her head and wiped the tears from her cheeks with her muddy hands, smearing more sand and mud all over herself. She didn’t seem to care anymore. She seemed resigned to accept her fate, whatever that may be. Part of me pitied her—but it was a very slender part. The rest held her in contempt for what she might have done.

“They were raiding the house, taking what they wanted. I just slipped out,” she continued.

It was a hard to believe story, but not impossible. I took what she said with a grain of salt, warily scrutinizing her every move, and every word that came out of her mouth.

“Roult had no known enemies,” I said. “I find this scenario highly unlikely. Did you kill him or not? Did you have him killed?”