place apart.
Power and determination surged through him.
The cuffs bent open and he freed himself from his chains.
Grace’s eyes widened. “How did you do that?”
“This planet gives me many advantages.” Partlan knelt next to her and
brushed a hand over her discoloured cheek. “Did they hurt you in any other
way?”
Grace shook her head. “I fell when I tried to escape. That’s why the
bruises. I really don’t think these guys care about anything other than their
mission. They weren’t interested in me as a woman.”
Relief eased his tense muscles. “That is good. Let me get those cuffs off
you.”
“Look through my coat pockets. You might find something there.”
“They are sloppy if they left you with a means of escape.”
“Most men don’t notice what women are carrying. All they cared about was
my gun.”
Partlan rifled through the front pocket of her suit jacket. He found
another bobby pin. It would be easier to turn the lock than to rip it from
Grace’s wrist. He had the cuffs off within a minute, then he gathered her
close. His heart pounded and he swallowed back his anguish as he took a
steadying breath and tucked her head under his chin.
“You are certain you are not in pain.”
Grace tried to push away, but he kept his arms around her. He should let
her loose, but he needed her near. His whole being was tormented at how close
he had come to losing her. Even if she had ordered him to release her, he
doubted he would be able to obey. The tension eased from her and then she
settle into his arms.
“My pride is hurt more than anything else.” Her words were mumbled into
his chest. “All my years of self-defence training and martial arts, and I
couldn’t escape those guys.”
“There were too many of them.” Partlan’s breathing slowed as he heard the
calm in her voice. She was truly unharmed. “Now we must find a way to leave
this place.”
“Good luck with that.” Grace moved back and stared into his eyes. “We
were locked in a small box and it was dark, but I counted at least seven floor
indicator bells.”
“So no one can hear us through these walls. It is the perfect prison. No
wonder they are lax in the small details.”
Partlan stood and ran his fingers over the walls and corners of the room.
He moved higher to the ceiling and then examined the floor. There were no
hidden devices. The room was solid cement block and there were no windows or
mirrors on the walls. The door’s sliding window was the only way to check the
area without opening the door.
“We are not being watched.”
Grace stood and arched her back in a stretch. “There are probably cameras
outside. If it were possible to escape, then they would know when we left the
cell.”
“A Hunter is not easy to keep contained.” Partlan walked back to Grace.
“I have vowed to protect you. I will find a way to get us out of this place.”
Their gazes locked and Partlan watched as a shadow of emotion flared and
then disappeared in Grace’s eyes. She was still hesitant to believe him. She
had spent most of her life defending herself, but now she had him. In time, she
would understand that a Hunter never broke his word.
Grace looked away. She shook each leg and then started to pace in their
small cell. “Why do you think they’ve kidnapped us?”
“The Albireons must have great control of this planet to be able to move
around freely.” Partlan pushed away his unease. Albireons had been defeated
before. “I suspect they have made some deal with the powers that rule your
planet.”
Grace put up her hand. “Stop right there. I’m not certain I can accept
this talk of aliens and visitors from other planets. If that were really the
case, why haven’t we seen these extraterrestrials?”
“You are forgetting that I am not from your planet.”
“You talk about your Sacred Code and being a Hunter, but you look exactly
like a human.” Grace ran her eyes over him. “You’re taller and definitely
Power and determination surged through him.
The cuffs bent open and he freed himself from his chains.
Grace’s eyes widened. “How did you do that?”
“This planet gives me many advantages.” Partlan knelt next to her and
brushed a hand over her discoloured cheek. “Did they hurt you in any other
way?”
Grace shook her head. “I fell when I tried to escape. That’s why the
bruises. I really don’t think these guys care about anything other than their
mission. They weren’t interested in me as a woman.”
Relief eased his tense muscles. “That is good. Let me get those cuffs off
you.”
“Look through my coat pockets. You might find something there.”
“They are sloppy if they left you with a means of escape.”
“Most men don’t notice what women are carrying. All they cared about was
my gun.”
Partlan rifled through the front pocket of her suit jacket. He found
another bobby pin. It would be easier to turn the lock than to rip it from
Grace’s wrist. He had the cuffs off within a minute, then he gathered her
close. His heart pounded and he swallowed back his anguish as he took a
steadying breath and tucked her head under his chin.
“You are certain you are not in pain.”
Grace tried to push away, but he kept his arms around her. He should let
her loose, but he needed her near. His whole being was tormented at how close
he had come to losing her. Even if she had ordered him to release her, he
doubted he would be able to obey. The tension eased from her and then she
settle into his arms.
“My pride is hurt more than anything else.” Her words were mumbled into
his chest. “All my years of self-defence training and martial arts, and I
couldn’t escape those guys.”
“There were too many of them.” Partlan’s breathing slowed as he heard the
calm in her voice. She was truly unharmed. “Now we must find a way to leave
this place.”
“Good luck with that.” Grace moved back and stared into his eyes. “We
were locked in a small box and it was dark, but I counted at least seven floor
indicator bells.”
“So no one can hear us through these walls. It is the perfect prison. No
wonder they are lax in the small details.”
Partlan stood and ran his fingers over the walls and corners of the room.
He moved higher to the ceiling and then examined the floor. There were no
hidden devices. The room was solid cement block and there were no windows or
mirrors on the walls. The door’s sliding window was the only way to check the
area without opening the door.
“We are not being watched.”
Grace stood and arched her back in a stretch. “There are probably cameras
outside. If it were possible to escape, then they would know when we left the
cell.”
“A Hunter is not easy to keep contained.” Partlan walked back to Grace.
“I have vowed to protect you. I will find a way to get us out of this place.”
Their gazes locked and Partlan watched as a shadow of emotion flared and
then disappeared in Grace’s eyes. She was still hesitant to believe him. She
had spent most of her life defending herself, but now she had him. In time, she
would understand that a Hunter never broke his word.
Grace looked away. She shook each leg and then started to pace in their
small cell. “Why do you think they’ve kidnapped us?”
“The Albireons must have great control of this planet to be able to move
around freely.” Partlan pushed away his unease. Albireons had been defeated
before. “I suspect they have made some deal with the powers that rule your
planet.”
Grace put up her hand. “Stop right there. I’m not certain I can accept
this talk of aliens and visitors from other planets. If that were really the
case, why haven’t we seen these extraterrestrials?”
“You are forgetting that I am not from your planet.”
“You talk about your Sacred Code and being a Hunter, but you look exactly
like a human.” Grace ran her eyes over him. “You’re taller and definitely
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