He gave her enough time to run away from the Allarians before turning back the way he had come. The Allarian's time on the planet would expire in another hour. If he could help her escape them, they would leave without her. It was what he wanted; she was his to take in. His orders were simple. Find her and bring her to the head of the Intergalactic Bureau of Investigations. Usually, he rarely followed the human Lionel Corbin's orders, but in this case, it was personal. They needed her.
Edgar weaved through thick undergrowth, stirring up desiccated leaves as he ran towards his prey. The scent of his planet filled his nostrils, and he lifted his head and howled his satisfaction at being able to change into his Canidae form.
He did not have time to relish this feeling of freedom. Being captain of a medium cruiser for the Intergalactic Space Corp had been a joy for the last decade or so. Yet, he often wondered if it was time to leave it all to the younger generations and retire to Black Isle, his family's estate. Though he could not envision living a simple life, he knew it would be better than living on a ship where he had to hide his Canidae from his subordinates.
Running freely like now was what he longed for, but it would have to wait. He had to complete his mission first. Resolutely, he headed for his prize. He was sure Regina thought she had escaped. His large canine mouth peeled back as he let the wind caress his tongue. Those Allarians liked to talk. They should have taken the female the instant they had cornered her. He would not be so foolish, he thought as he hunted her.
It took him ten minutes to track her down near the canyon where he had his shuttle.
How fortuitous, he thought as he slowed his pace, then walked towards her, appearing in her path.
She came to an abrupt stop. An audible gasp left her.
"What do you want?"
Her voice resonated deep within him.
She twisted the handcuff bracelet around her wrist, and his eyes went to it.
Edgar looked away from her, but he was aware of her every move. She was favouring one leg; he saw. Was she in pain? He wondered; his thought surprised him. It should not matter to him if she was in discomfort, but why was he concerned?
Had she guessed what he was?
He saw her shift from foot to foot, and he met her eyes. She stopped at once and stared at the ground.
Edgar had never been indecisive in his seventy years, yet as he stared at the human female, he was wondering how to approach her. He did not want to take her by force. What he wanted was her cooperation.
Whilst he was deciding what to say to her, he knew the Allarians he had believed had given up on had followed her. They were coming towards them at great speed, and they did not stop.
"I can't stay here," she mumbled, her eyes searching the area.
Since they attacked, he did the unthinkable. He cleared his mind and commanded his body to shift from his Canidae form into his humanoid one. The crack of his bones, as they contorted within his body, was audible in his ears as he shifted. When he stood before her taller than he had been minutes before, he knew she was staring at him in awe.
"We must leave before the Allarians get here," his eyes met hers.
"I can't. My ankle. I sprained it." Her words were soft and filled with defeat.
This, he thought, did not suit her. From the moment he had seen the report on Regina Wilde, he had known she was not the sort of female to give up easily; it was admirable. He could not allow her to feel this way now.
"I must give you my apology, then."
Edgar scooped her up into his arms before she could respond.
She let out an audible breath.
The instant she was secure in his grasp, he took off towards the canyon.
Edeva, his second in command, would see that the Allarians got caught, he thought.
As Raptor skirted around trees swiftly and agilely, he did not care that the thorns scraped his skin or that low hanging limbs grabbed at his loose waist-length white hair like old ladies' fingers.
He had not gone far when the surrounding trees and vegetation bent low beneath the engines of a small rectangular shuttle that hovered above the tops of the tallest trees.
Coming to a stop, Edgar looked up and scanned the belly of the shuttle. It was an Allarian ship; He had not believed they would be bold enough to have their shuttle follow them. The Allarians would not give her up readily, he concluded.
"I do not believe the Allarians will give up on you," he commented, glancing at her briefly before tilting his head up to stare at the shuttle.
"I think we should find a place to hide before they come," Regina said as she followed his gaze.
"You are correct. We cannot stay here," Edgar agreed. "This way, I know a place where we can be safe."
He veered left in the direction that they were going. As he did so, he explained they were heading for a place where they could evade the shuttle's sensors.
Feeling her eyes on him, he turned. "Is anything the matter?" he asked as he waited for her to catch up with his longer strides.
"Why are you helping me?" she asked suspiciously.
He thought of lying, but he could foresee this damaging the trust he wanted to build with her.
"I am here to arrest you."
He expected a reaction, but it mildly surprised him when she stared at him and said, "Who sent you?"
"I am representing the Intergalactic Space Corp."
"I see." She drew the words out as if she knew what he wanted from her.
"Are you going to hand me over to the earth authorities?"
Edgar shook his head. "I want something else entirely." He deliberately let his words be vague. He had given her enough information to interest her, and he hoped she would accept the bait.
"We must hurry," he urged.
He took two steps and came to a sudden standstill.
Raptor had got too engrossed being with the human to notice that an Allarian had tracked them. It was the one he had heard called Bando. Before, he had no weapon, but now he held a small laser pistol pointed at them.
"Give me the ouman," he hissed, his eyes shifting from Edgar to Regina.
"I cannot do so," he answered, stepping before her completely so his body blocked the Allarian's line of sight.
"It's a shame then, Karan," he said, pulling the trigger on the weapon.
Reacting fast, he shoved Regina to the ground at the same instant the burn of the weapon pierced his side.
In a blur of speed, he was on the Allarian before he could fire again. A right hook took the mercenary off guard, and he staggered back at the force. Righting himself, he shook his head and raised the weapon again. Edgar knocked it out of his, and the pistol hit a nearby tree and discharged, hitting Bando right in his chest.
There was a blank look on the Allarian's face as he collapsed before him.
With his hand placed over his wound, he went back to Regina. "I believe we should forfeit hiding and head towards my ship instead."
Standing, she brushed dirt from her derriere. Taking off the vest she wore, she handed it to Edgar.
"This should stop the bleeding until we get to your ship." Her eyes watched him as he placed the vest on his wound. It was not life-threatening.
His kind regenerated quickly, but it did not mean he would not need medical help. He wondered what his chief medical officer would say when he turned up in his medical bay.
"Would you let me help you?" she offered, and he scrutinised her face before nodding.
She drew nearer to him until they stood shoulder to shoulder. Or more like shoulder to waist. She was short for a human, he thought, as he placed one hand on her shoulder. "I believe our differences in height will make this difficult."
Regina glanced at him. "If you hold on to my shoulder, at least you will take some pressure off your side."
Considerate. Edgar had not thought of her as having these qualities. Baffled, he stared down at her. Edgar had never thought about what she was like. He had believed she was just like any other convict.
"Let us make haste then," he said, changing direction for a second time.
Edgar controlled his body weight and tried to put little or no pressure on her. Whilst he did this, he wondered why a part of him had been afraid when the Allarian had held that laser pistol at them. He was a ship's captain, for goddess sakes. How could a weapon being pointed at him make him tremble inside?