Bonus

Reina eyed the hard slab pushed up against the wall of Stoan’s old quarters with wary resolve. He claimed it was a mattress, but she knew better. One night on that torture device and she’d threatened to move back home. Sleeping on the floor was better than that… thing.

“What are you doing?” Stoan asked as he came into the room and grabbed a book that he’d left on his table.

“Do you think it will burn?” she asked. She couldn’t believe that he’d slept on it for years. Prisoners in the labor camps had better beds.

Stoan wrapped an arm around her and gave her a quick kiss. They were still settling into his new quarters and had decided to use the old one as an office where he could do much of the work that went into running the Detyen community of Nina City.

“Why do you want to burn my old bed?” he asked, as if he didn’t have years of evidence for just how evil it was. “We can set it up in the guest quarters so that visitors aren’t stuck sleeping on the couch.”

Reina laughed and imagined the look on anyone’s face while trying to sleep on that thing. She wouldn’t wish it on her worst enemy. Well… on second thought, if she were able to imprison Droscus somewhere, she’d make that damned cot his only piece of furniture.

“It’s not that bad,” Stoan insisted.

She pointed to where her neck met her back, “I still have a lump here from that sorry excuse for a pillow. I’m pretty sure you had some evil plan with that combo, but I haven’t quite worked out what it was just yet.”

The day after they’d moved in together, she’d dragged him to the market to find a new bed and new bedding when Stoan growled at the thought of sleeping in the bed she’d shared with her deceased husband. Now they had a nice, huge, soft, comfortable, perfect place to sleep. But the very existence of this cot offended her.

Stoan’s hands slid up and he began to massage her shoulders, working out the knot she’d pointed to. “If you wanted me to take away your pain, you only had to ask,” he said.

Reina’s eyes drifted shut and she leaned back into him, the strong feeling of his hands a pleasure she’d come to love almost as much as she loved his tongue. “If you ever need a fallback career, I’m sure someone would pay you good money for this.”

He chuckled, his chest brushing against her back. “My hands are for you alone, denya,” he said and kissed her neck right over that spot where he’d marked her and claimed her as his own.

Fire raging in her blood, Reina decided that the cot might have its uses as she and her mate lay down and gave it another try.

After a week on Honora Station, Inrit had a question for Max. “How in all the hells did you stay on Nina Station for so long without going crazy?” They’d rented a room in the temporary lodging quarters and splurged for one with a real window looking out into space. At first, the depths and darkness had fascinated her and she’d stared out into the inky field of stars every chance she got. But after an entire week of the view, the black was… claustrophobic.

She sat on their bed and pulled the thick blanket up and over herself to ward off the slight chill in the room. Though they had access to a sophisticated temperature control system, they’d yet to agree to a constant ideal temperature and it was Max’s turn to control the thermostat.

Max sat at the foot of their bed, his shirt tossed somewhere on the floor. Inrit’s eyes clung to him. The feel of the muscles of his broad back had imprinted themselves on her hands and there wasn’t a centimeter of him that she hadn’t tasted. Twice. Inrit leaned forward until her cheek was pressed up against his deliciously warm skin.

Max hummed and looked down at her with a grin. “Is this affection, or are you trying to leech away all of my warmth?” He pressed a kiss against her forehead and didn’t try to move away.

“Can’t it be both?” she asked. Before she’d met Max, she hadn’t known the absolute contentment that simple touch could bring. She kept finding little excuses to skim her fingers across his skin, drinking in the feel of him. She trailed her lips over the curve of Max’s shoulder and let her fingers sneak out of the covers to slide across his chest.

He leaned back into her but caught her wrist before she could get very far. “We promised that we’d see the boys off,” he reminded her.

“I know,” she murmured against his skin, her lips pressed flat, muffling the sound. It was a struggle to force herself away from him, and not just because of the warmth. But Inrit was stronger than that and pushed back, casting the blanket aside and crawling out of the bed. She kept her eyes in front of her while she strolled to the closet to choose her clothes. If she saw that silver gleam in Max’s eyes, they’d never make it.

But half an hour later they were at the terminal for long distance flights, exchanging hugs and contact information with Krayter and Kayleb. Kayleb had almost completely recovered from his wounds, the only reminder a still-healing scar on his temple and a new habit of lapsing into drawn-out silences. The station doctor had every confidence that he’d get better… eventually.
Inrit hoped it happened soon.

“Have you given up hope of your cousin showing up?” she asked. Travelers glided past them and Inrit was glad they’d found a little corner to say their goodbyes. It was too crowded for her liking.

Krayter looked over the teeming swell of people before he shrugged and turned back to her. “This is the last direct transport to Earth for a month. Ru said to go on without them if the timing didn’t work. So we’re… going on.”

Neither Detyen looked happy about it.

“We can check in,” Max offered. His hand hung casually over her shoulder and she leaned into him. “If they show up soon, they’ll know you’ve safely boarded the ship.”

Kayleb nodded but said nothing. When they’d first met, he’d been made of aggression, and now a facade of quiet calm had settled over him. Inrit hoped he wouldn’t be swept away when the dam of his emotions broke through.

“Thank you,” said Krayter. “There’s probably a simple explanation for their delay.” Worry laced his words and his brows furrowed. Inrit knew how he felt. After their brush with pirates, it was difficult to imagine innocent scenarios for the delay.

A call came over the intercom advising passengers that it was time to board. Both Krayter and Kayleb picked up their bags.

“I hope you find what you’re looking for on Earth,” Inrit said. “And when you do, you tell us. Got it?” They’d only met a few weeks ago, but the boys were family now.

“Got it,” said Kayleb. They both gave her a hug and then left, getting in the queue to board the ship and leaving Max and Inrit alone.

“Have you ever wanted to see Earth?” she asked Max. She’d seen images and vids. That planet seemed to have everything, huge oceans, verdant forests, deserts. It had survived the worst that humans could do to it and still flourished. She felt a pang as she thought of Detya. Max’s people had come from Earth, but she would never see her homeworld.

Max was quiet for a long moment. He looked out over the crowd without focusing on anyone. “Perhaps one day,” he finally said. “Once those boys have found their mates and demand we visit.”

“You’re so sure they will?” she asked. Neither Krayter nor Kayleb had ever shared their age, but they couldn’t have more than a few years away from thirty.
He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “We found each other, didn’t we?”

Heat curled low and Inrit wanted to grab him by the collar of his top and drag him back to their quarters. But she’d already done that twice in the last week and if she kept it up, they’d never get off Honora Station. So she satisfied herself with a kiss and grinned as she pulled back. “We did.”

Max laced his fingers through hers and they walked away from the terminal. "Have you thought of what we should do when we leave the station?"

Inrit had been letting the thought play in the back of her mind for the last week. Honora station was a dream world, adrift from anything real. But all dreams ended eventually. With Max by her side, she didn't dread the future. Still, she wasn't running towards it. "I suppose we could find a planet looking for homesteaders. Though I haven’t lived on a world for a long time."

She let Max lead and didn't pay much attention to where they were headed. That was one of the amazing things about having a mate. She could trust him to watch her back as closely as she watched his. They walked for several minutes and still remained near the gates leading off the station. "Where are you taking me?" She asked.

"I have an idea. You don't need to say yes, or no, or anything until you've had time to think it over." Max led her through a door that slid shut behind them. The lights overhead came on automatically, but the room was a size of a closet and the only thing of interest was the huge window that looked out into the open space. Floating just outside the station, was a small dark cruiser that had seen better days. Its hull was covered with different plates of metal ranging from bright blue to a garish pink. It was the ugliest ship that Inrit had ever seen.

She loved it.

"Is her captain looking for a crew?" She asked her mate, sending an excited glance over her shoulder. Without even realizing it her fingers were pressed up against the glass of the window.

Max grinned back. "She could be, if you want her to."

Her heart stuttered and one hand started to curl into a fist like she could reach through the glass and grasp the ship. "Even a hunk of metal like that has to cost more credits than I've seen in my lifetime."

Max coughed into his hand and two bright spots of red appeared on his cheeks. "I have a handful of Tarnian amethysts," he admitted. "We could buy the ship 10 times over and still have money to spare."

Inrit dropped her hand and turned towards him. "What?" Tarnian amethysts were some of the most sought after gems in the galaxy. And Max had a handful? "When were you going to tell me that you were rich?"

"What's mine is yours, denya." He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her so she faced the window again. His hands slid down and wrapped around her waist and he rested his chin on her shoulder. "You and me and the galaxy, what do you say?" He said right into her ear, his lips brushing against the sensitive flesh.

Inrit looked at the ship again and let the heat of Max's arms sink into her. She leaned her head to the side to nuzzle against him and smiled. "I think that sounds pretty good."

They’d all managed to squish around the dinner table for their first “family” meal since she, Brax, Manda, and Doryan had arrived on their doorstep a week ago. There’d been no progress on finding Manda’s people, and every time someone mentioned the Detyen Legion to Doryan he changed the subject. The house wasn’t quite big enough for seven people, and they were all beginning to get a little… frustrated. But Brax’s family seemed determined to make them all feel welcome and Vita wasn’t going to turn away their kindness.

“So how exactly did you end up finding Manda?” Shayn asked Doryan once they’d all served themselves the Earth food. Well, they were on Earth. It was all Earth food. But Vita had never eaten pizza before. It vaguely reminded her of the sauce-covered flatbreads she’d enjoyed as a child.

Vita tensed. They’d been dancing around the questions about how Doryan ended up a slave and prisoner, but Brax’s brothers just asked things. It was a bit unnerving.

Doryan looked at him for several moments and she was sure that he wouldn’t answer. But he surprised her. “My unit was on a mission. I was injured and fell behind. Per protocol, they left me with instructions to rendezvous or retire, whichever was possible. Before I could retire myself I was apprehended, and in the course of my capture was rendered unconscious. When I woke up, Manda and I had been held together for some time. She made sure they didn’t harm me while I was asleep.” He nodded at her, and the girl who was too old for her years nodded back just as solemnly.

“Retire?” Deke asked.

Vita’s heart sank. There were only so many things that word in that context could mean.

Doryan glanced at Manda and repeated, “Retire.”

The girl scrunched her face up, but didn’t seem to get the subtext. And Vita wondered why the emotionless warrior was still trying to protect her. “We can contact the legion for you,” Deke offered. “If that’s what you want.”

Brax and Shayn looked at their brother like he was crazy. “Did you not just hear the part where they were going to k—retire him?” Shayn asked.

Deke widened his eyes and shrugged. “Maybe those were special circumstances!”

It devolved from there. Vita took her chance to scarf down her food and was happy to discover that pizza was delicious. She saw that Manda was doing the same and they shared a grin.

Even Naomi ignored it as the brothers argued, and Doryan didn’t seem to be bothered by anything. He gingerly picked up his food and ate slowly, his expression never changing. For all he reacted, he might as well have been eating tasteless protein sludge.

“Enough!” Vita finally yelled when Deke shot up out of his chair and started pointing at his brothers. She’d tuned out most of what they’d been saying, but they looked about ten seconds away from coming to blows. “I have a blaster and I’m happy to use it. Now, Dekon, sit down. We’re not going to figure out what to do with Doryan and Manda tonight. So we’re going to enjoy this food, and stop fighting. Got it?” She put just enough menace in her words to make him know she meant it.

Deke sat down, chastened.

Brax grinned and pulled her close, stealing a kiss. “Best abduction ever,” he said.

And he was right.

Bonus Scene (Takes place after Brax’s book and before Doryan’s):

Safety. For so long Brax had taken it for granted, but no longer. It was nice to be back on Earth, even if it hadn’t been his home for long before Vita swept him away. It was so different than living on Honora Station, with real gravity keeping him plastered to the ground and fresh air all around.

But today the air held a hint of something else.

Something unnecessary.

“Do you really think I’m going to need to shoot anyone?” he asked. “I’m a mechanic.”

Vita was examining two of her blasters. Her collection numbered in the dozens and she kept them in much better repair than she’d kept her ship. But Brax was still reading up on how to repair the weapons in case it ever came up. He didn’t want his denya to suffer a catastrophic weapons failure in the middle of a fight.

Vita handed him one of the blasters and a small part of him was pleased that it was the bigger one, not that he would admit it. “You want to go flying with me, you need to be able to take care of yourself.”

There were a dozen ways he could respond to that, but his mate was holding a blaster and it seemed wisest to keep quiet. And she thought he couldn’t defend himself. Ha! “Just point and shoot, right?” He looked down at the target she’d set up on the tree. It was about five meters away. He was pretty sure he could throw the blaster at it and hit a bullseye.

“If it’s that easy, go for it.” There was a glint in her eye and Brax knew he was missing something, but for the life of him he didn’t know what. He shot.

He didn’t even hit the tree.

Vita didn’t laugh, but her lips twitched. “Want a little advice?” she offered sweetly.

Brax set his shoulders and glared at the tree. “No. I can do it.”

The second shot hit the tree. Barely. But he was counting it.

The third hit the edge of the target.

And the fourth.

“Ha! Bullseye!” He jumped in the air and grinned.

“So we’re good as long as whoever we’re fighting stands three meters away and waits for you to get it. Good.” She didn’t look too impressed.

“It’s five meters,” Brax had to defend himself somehow. “And it’s not too bad for a first time. Let’s see you do it from over there.” He jerked his head back and up a small hill. It had to be thirty meters away.

Vita gave it a look and shrugged. “Four chances?” she asked. “And what do I get?”

“We’re betting now? I thought I wasn’t allowed to bet.” He may not have actually owed the gambling debts that had brought them together, but that didn’t mean that Vita didn’t have opinions.

“Never bet for money,” she warned. “So what do I get?”

Could she really get a bullseye from thirty meters away? Brax had faith in his mate, but it was a long distance. “Anything you want.” It wasn’t like he’d deny her anything anyway.

“Anything?” her eyes lit up. “Even if it involves that vid—”

“That?” He shifted, his cock perking up even as he considered what she was suggesting. “I mean, of course.” Anything for love.”

Vita tilted her head back and laughed.

“But you have to hit bullseye four times,” he added. She was way too confident.

She leaned in and sealed her mouth over his, pulling back only when he was ready to pull her close. “Oh, love, your ass is mine.”

With a spring in her step she jogged off to where he’d indicated and Brax followed after. By the time he caught up she was already aiming. And before he could say anything she let off the shots. From the glee in her laugh he knew she’d hit her target.

Four times?

The jog back to the tree confirmed it.

Four shots. Four hits.

She kissed him again. “Whenever you’re ready to pay up. I always collect my debts.”

What had he gotten himself into?

Deke didn't recognize the little girl standing in the backyard. She was short and human and probably pretty young. Four? Three? He wasn't sure how quickly humans aged but he didn't think she was any younger. She had brown skin and huge brown eyes to go with her short, curly light brown hair.

She wore bright blue overalls and was carrying a small stuffed animal in one hand.

He looked back at the house before returning his gaze to the child.

He'd been back an entire week. No child lived in the house. But this little girl looked a little bit like Naomi.

Was he an uncle?

Did Shayn and Naomi have a baby?

Were they hiding her from him?

The girl blinked up at him and tilted her head to one side as if she was trying to make sense of him.

She didn't seem scared to see a Detyen standing in front of her, and he couldn't imagine any child of Shayn and Naomi giving in to fear.

"What's your name?" He asked cautiously. Where was Manda? She would know. Surely she would have mentioned if one of his brothers had a child. Were Vita and Brax hiding a brood of children somewhere?

No.

Surely not.

The girl blinked twice but didn't answer.

Deke crouched down in a squat so he was more on her level. "My name is Dekon. I live in that house back there. Where do you live?" He didn't know what he would do if she said she also lived in the house. It wasn't that big. His family couldn't hide an entire child.

Could they?

Some observant mercenary he was.

"Ashley! Ashley!" A woman yelled. She came running into the backyard, eyes just as wide as the little girl's and lungs heaving. "Ashley, what are you doing here?"

The woman glared down at the little girl.

"I was just walkin'," little Ashley said.

"You're not supposed to leave the yard." The woman looked up at Deke and grimaced.  "I'm so sorry. I swear I only looked away for a second. We live right down the street."

Deke tried not to look as relieved as he felt. There was no secret baby in the house. He wasn't an uncle. "Okay." He didn't know what to say in the situation. A child that small probably shouldn't be running around but it wasn't his job to watch her.

"I'm Monica," said the woman.

"Okay." He used to understand people. He used to be good at this.

"Monica! What are you doing here?" Manda called from behind him. She had been in the house talking to Vita but came out to rescue him. Deke wanted to grab onto her and hold tight and thank her for saving him from the toddler and her mother.

"My little bandit took off," said Monica.

"Ashley!" Manda crouched down and looked at the little girl. "You know you have to ask before you come here to play."

"Sorry," said Ashley.

Manda stood back up. "Have you met Deke?"

"Can't say I have." Monica smiled and flicked her eyes up and down taking deep Deke in.

Manda wrapped an arm possessively around his waist and pulled him close. "This is Deke. He's Shayn and Brax's brother. And he's my mate." She kissed his cheek and then gave Monica a sweet smile.

Monica grinned knowingly. "I've got to get back. Food's in the oven. It was nice to meet you, Deke."

The two the mother and daughter took off.

"Thank you for saving me," he told his mate and wrapped both arms around her, holding her tight.

"Some big bad mercenary you are. You were just about defeated by a toddler. I'm terrified to know how you handle it when we have kids."

"Kids?" Was he supposed to feel that much terror the thought.

Manda burst out laughing. "Don't worry, big guy. We've got a while. Come on. Let's go back inside."

One week. How long could it possibly be? When they’d piled onto the ship three days ago, Sierra had known that was no time at all. She’d taken vacations that went by in the blink of an eye that were a week long. Besides, she had the sexiest man in the galaxy at her side, and every moment they could steal together would just make that time fly even faster.

Except those moments were not nearly as frequent as she needed, and frustration clawed at her with every extra bit of attention that her crew, the ship, or the women required. Clearly none of them cared that she and Raze were newly mated and could have happily spent the entire time in her quarters until they arrived back at Earth.

But after that first day, it had become clear that no one was going to let them get away with that.

First, Quinn pulled her aside to let her know the women were bored and needed entertainment. Then, Jo wanted her to confirm all of the food on the ship was edible. And then Toran, Kayde, and Dryce had pulled Raze away to do Detyen things and an entire day had gone by with barely a kiss shared between them.

She was taking all of her vacation time and spending it with Raze once they got home. That was, if she still had a job. Another problem with this interminable week, every time she stopped moving and wasn’t near Raze, she started thinking about what exactly the job prospects were for a disgraced spy.

Yeah, that didn’t look good either. Maybe she shouldn’t be wishing for the week to end.

But it was the boredom of the women that had brought her to this tortuous night. And she wasn’t about to do it alone.

“It’s a human game?” Raze asked. She’d cornered him in a utility closet and after a too quick make out that only served to leave her frustrated and hot, she’d sprung the plan on him.

“Yes, it should keep the women occupied for a bit. And it’s not like we need any cards or anything. It will be fun.” Lying to her mate was a terrible sin, but some things were just necessary.

“And it only consists of asking questions and making challenges?” He sounded intrigued.

Good, that was at least one taker. She grabbed Raze’s hand and dragged him toward the kitchen where some of the women had congregated. “Good.”

Quinn, Davy, Monica, Muir, and CJ were seated around a large table and they moved to make room when Sierra and Raze arrived. Both Quinn and Davy shot them conspiratorial grins, as if they knew exactly what Raze and Sierra would rather be doing. Sierra barely kept her hand from checking to make sure her hair wasn’t completely mussed up from the time in the closet.

“This is our group?” she asked.

Muir nodded. In the past few days she’d opened up a little, now that she was sure she wasn’t about to die. “Valerie said the rest didn’t want to play.”

With you was the unspoken addition. That bit of tension hadn’t bled away and Sierra doubted she’d ever forgive Valerie for abandoning Laurel.

“This is a good number. Too many more and no one would get a turn.” The rift between the two factions of survivors and the human and Detyen crew wasn’t something that could be fixed, but at least they’d all separate in a few days. “Let’s just go in alphabetical order? CJ, you can start.”

Her eyes lit up and her gaze zeroed in on Raze immediately. “Truth or dare?” she asked him.

Raze glanced at Sierra and she nodded encouragingly. He’d agreed, after all.

“Truth,” he decided.

CJ didn’t rub her hands together in glee, but it was a close thing. “If you had to sleep with someone other than Sierra on the ship, who would it be?”

Sierra groaned. Truth or dare was a terrible game, why had she chosen it?

Raze shook his head. “I wouldn’t have sex with anyone besides my mate.”

Her cheeks flamed, but she reached out and clasped their hands together under the table.

CJ was shaking her head. “No, that’s not how this works. You have to answer. Pretend that if you didn’t choose, your head would explode.”

“Then I would let my head explode rather than betray her.” He was so earnest that Sierra couldn’t help but give him a sappy smile.

She glared at CJ and the woman got the picture. “Davy?”

An evil gleam came into Davy’s eyes. “Sierra, truth or dare.”

Worst. Idea. Ever. But Sierra wasn’t falling into the truth trap. “Dare,” she decided.

“I dare you to go the rest of this game without touching Raze.” Davy grinned.

Sierra glared, but she took her hand away from her mate and scooted a little to the side. “Easy,” she responded. “Monica?”

She and Raze had already been picked, Monica wouldn’t go back for them, right?

Wrong.

“Raze, truth or dare?”

This was getting ridiculous.

Her mate sighed, but didn’t back down. “Dare.”

Monica bit her lip while coming up with her challenge, and then she grinned just as evilly as Davy. “I dare you to make Sierra touch you even though she’s not supposed to.”

“How old are you people?” Sierra demanded of the group before turning back to Raze and crossing her arms. “Never going to happen.” She wanted to win this dumb game.

But she could see in Raze’s eyes that he’d gotten into the challenge. He leaned over her, crowding her space, but no bit of him touching her. The space between them heated and there was an almost physical pull between them. Sierra had to clench her fists on the armrest of the chair to keep from reaching out and placing a hand on his chest.

“Do you know what I’m going to do to you later?” Raze asked, whispering in her ear too low for the other women to hear.

“What?” She leaned in closer, but still not close enough to touch, not quite.

“Anything you want,” he promised, sin in his eyes. “All you have to do is reach out and ask for it.”

“And if I don’t?” She was strung on a wire, entire body taut and hot with pleasure.

“You don’t want to find out,” he warned.

She leaned forward, just a bit more, just trying to take more of his heat, and her cheek brushed against his.

A cheer went up behind them, Davy shooting both hands in the air. Sierra jerked back and glared. She crossed her arms again and tried to keep space between her and Raze, but he slung an arm over her shoulder.

No one said he couldn’t touch her. Ha! Loophole.

But from the wicked gleam in Muir’s eye as her turn came up, Sierra knew it was going to be a long night.

Four more days. And then this damn week would be over and she could really get to enjoy her mate.

“We could be spending the morning in bed, my love,” Iris tried to reason with her mate as he cleared a space in the gym for them to work. They’d spent the last several mornings busy working with their band of humans and Detyens to plan out what would happen now that Ambassador Yormas was on the run, but today they didn’t need to do anything until after noon. As far as Iris was concerned, that gave them hours to make up for all the morning sex they’d missed out on since their mating.

If only her mate were on the same page.

“I cannot make love to you if you’re being held against your will,” Toran replied in a frustratingly even tone. He’d been extra protective since her encounter with Varrow, and though she understood why he was insisting on this lesson, it didn’t mean that she had to like it.

“Varrow’s dead,” Iris began, but when Toran sucked in a shaky breath and gave her that look she knew that she’d been defeated. “Fine, let’s get this over with.”

He flashed her a smile of gratitude and finished clearing the space. After a moment, her mate waved at the space in front of him and instructed her to stand. Iris had to bite her tongue to keep from saying something. He needed to do this, to do something so he didn’t feel powerless when she might be put in danger. Iris understood, but that didn’t mean she had to like it.

“We’ll just go over how to break out of a few holds, nothing too complicated. And once I’m satisfied we—”

“Can return to bed?” she asked hopefully.

Toran’s eyes flashed red and his nostrils flared. “Let’s hope you learn quickly.” He stepped closer and took hold of her wrist. “Now, when I have you like this, the weakest part of the grip is where my fingers meet. I want you to strike me with your free hand right here,” he pointed to a spot on his arm, “and pull away quickly. We’ll go slow at first.”

Iris jerked against his hold a little, testing it, but her mate had a tight grip. He tightened it even further when she didn’t try and escape correctly.

“Do it as I told you,” he said. “It’s okay if you don’t get it the first time.”

That was quite enough. Iris glared at him and did the move exactly as instructed, striking his wrist and pulling away, following through until she put a little distance between them. “Satisfied?” It wasn’t like what he was showing her was difficult.

“Again,” he said, taking on his commander tone. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her close.

Iris would much rather be close under other circumstances. This time, after striking his wrist, she stomped on his foot and used a maneuver to wrench his arm behind his back, using her momentum to gain strength she usually didn’t have.

“What else do you have to show me?” she breathed against his neck, placing a kiss against one of his clan markings.

“You know self-defense.” It wasn’t a question.

“A little.” She was no expert, but she’d taken a few classes.

“Then why didn’t you use it against Varrow’s men?” he turned and she saw the fear in his eyes. If she knew how to defend herself and couldn’t get away from a villain like Varrow, he was probably thinking, then the solution to keeping her safe couldn’t be found in a few clever defense moves.

“Because there was more than one guy and they were armed.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and breathed in the heady scent of him. She was growing addicted to this closeness and she wanted to ease his fears. “I know you want to protect me and that we’re living through dangerous times, but I promise you that I will always do my best to return to you. You’re my mate.”

He brushed his lips against her forehead. “Do you know how to use a blaster?” he asked.

Iris grinned. He was learning. “Not well,” she admitted.

“Can I teach you?”

She reached up and cupped his cheek. “Later. Right now I think we could both use a little time in bed. Together. Yes?”

His eyes flashed red and he swiped his lips against hers. “Yes.”

Quinn wasn’t hiding. Hiding implied intent, and if she just so happened to be in a place unlikely to be frequented by the ever growing Detyen crew, that didn’t mean that she intended to stay away from them. Besides, she had her very own Detyen right with her, and there was no way that Kayde was trying to stay away from his own people.

They were safe on Earth, for now, but one day soon she knew that their safety would no longer be guaranteed.

“What do you think about a cat?” Kayde asked her, his shoulder brushing against hers while they stood at the edge of the public park, looking out at all of the families playing under the tents labeled HUMANE SOCIETY.

“A cat?” What use did she have for a cat? “I like them well enough, I guess. Why?” As they got settled back on Earth, Kayde’s curiosity was growing by leaps and bounds, as if he was making up for all the years where he’d been dead inside.

He pointed to one of the tents and Quinn had to squint to try and make out what he was looking at.  One child, a girl with little brown poofs of hair on either side of her head, caught her attention. She was holding a fluffy white monstrosity that was almost as big as she was. Quinn’s lips involuntarily tugged up at the sight as she imagined what a daughter of her and Kayde might look like carrying her own monster kitten.

“I’ve never had a pet,” Kayde said. “They served no purpose at HQ.”

Her heart clenched as she imagined just how desolate even the best life on Detyen HQ must have been. Though, as she thought about it, she hadn’t had a pet growing up either. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “We can’t have a cat right now.” The world was in turmoil with the arrival of the Detyen Fleet and there was no telling what trouble they could be bringing with them.

“Right now doesn’t mean never,” Kayde pointed out.

Quinn laid her head on his shoulder. “Let’s make sure we’re going to survive the year before we start worrying about taking care of small creatures.”

“We will,” Kayde promised, his arm going around her and tugging her close. “And once we’re sure, we’ll take care of all of the small creatures we can handle.”

Quinn got the idea he wasn’t just talking about cats. And as she rested against him and let his warmth permeate her skin she realized that she couldn’t wait to find out exactly what he meant.

He would not be defeated by these… boots. Even if they had wheels.

“Whoo!” a young human, no more than eight years old, slid past him with the bravery of a soldier heading into an impossible battle, all thought for his own life left behind.

Crux reached back and clutched the half wall behind him. He glared when he heard

Courtney choke back a laugh.

Digging his fingers into the wall with his other hand, he managed to turn around and face her. Her eyes glowed with delight, though some of that might have come from the disco ball taunting him from the center of the rink.

Earth was full of… everything.

If it weren’t for Courtney, he would be missing the peace of Vemion.

“Should I go get you a SkateMate?” she asked, the corner of her mouth ticked up.

“A what? You are the only mate I need.” His eyes tracked around the room and he saw several children with strange V-shaped devices held out in front of them to assist with balance. And some of those children seemed eager to use them as weapons, plowing into the unsuspecting with glee.

“You can fly, surely this isn’t that bad.” She pushed off the wall, glided in front of him, did some sort of impossible turn, and ended up on the other side, all while Crux barely managed to turn back around and stay on his feet.

“That is completely different.” He was a dragon. He changed his form. There was no need to strap wings to his back and throw himself off the palace roof as if he needed the assistance.

“Hold my hand,” his mate offered, reaching for him and gliding backwards.

This had been a mistake.

But he reached for his mate and let her pull him, barely putting any effort into it. After a moment, he found his balance and no longer felt like he might crash to the ground at any moment.

It was even going well, until one of the reckless children let out a demonic yell and plowed right into him, sending Crux and Courtney crashing to the floor and yet extracting himself in a sort of move that should have been impossible.

“Menace!” Crux yelled.

“Calm down, babe.” Courtney helped him back to his feet and kissed his cheek. With her skating backwards and guiding him, they made it two laps without another child crashing into them.

“I can do this,” Crux said with more confidence than he deserved. But his mate trusted him and let go of his hand, spinning once more to skate beside him.

He’d learn how to spin, just to show her he could do it.

“Alright, alright,” the DJ’s voice blared from the speakers. “Let’s do one more song before a race! I want you all ready to show me what you’ve got! Meet at the entrance by the snack bar once we’re done rocking out!” Music blared and a herd of children sprinted for the entrance.

Crux glared. “I’m going to race,” he declared.

Courtney made a skeptical sound. “You sure about that? It’s mostly for the kids.”

He saw a few adults joining them. Along with the menace who’d plowed into him. “I’m sure.”

“How about you skate once around the rink by yourself first.”

His mate didn’t believe he could do it. How dare she? He funneled all of his determination into the skate and managed two laps by himself before the song ended. He shot his mate a look of triumph.

“Now, my sweet mate, may I race?” the need to prove himself blew strong, his fire barely banked.

Courtney pursed her lips and patted her chin. “You could go and get your ass handed to you by a bunch of eight year olds, or…” there was a gleam in her eye.

“Or?” he liked it when she started to look like that.

“We could sneak into the back office and make out while no one’s looking. It’s a time honored tradition.”

Desire flared to life and he was suddenly an expert on his skates. “I’ll race you there.” He took off.

Laughter burst from Courtney as she chased after him.

Probably.

She was 99% sure that Asher was somewhere in her apartment.

But what the hell could he be doing?

Zoe pulled on a robe and padded out of the bedroom. The apartment wasn’t much: one bedroom, a living room she’d converted into an office so she could get work done when she wasn’t on campus, a bathroom with a shower barely big enough for one, and a kitchen who’s stove hadn’t been updated since the seventies.

Avocado green would make a comeback someday. Then she’d be trendy.

Asher stood next to the coffee maker, brow furrowed.

“Are you making coffee?” she asked. Due to a funky cabinet layout, her mugs were hanging on the other side of the sink so she grabbed two and handed one over.

“What?” Her mate had gone serious, as if this was a problem he had to solve back on VMC12.

She nudged him out of the way and pressed the button to start the brew. “Do you want cream or sugar?”

“It doesn’t add it?” he squinted at the pot as if it had answers he couldn’t comprehend.

“Sorry, buddy, we have to add it ourselves.” She pulled milk out of the fridge. “Do you want something for breakfast? I think I have some Eggos.”

“I have no idea what an Eggo is.” He pointed beside the coffee maker. “I thought I could prepare something, but your processor appears to be malfunctioning.”

“My processor…” she leaned over. “That’s an air fryer.”

“It’s impossible to fry air.” He grabbed the handle and pulled out the basket. “How do I make the food appear? I tried to use the screen but all it did was flash numbers and nonsensical letters.”

“The numbers are the temperature. The letters are the setting. And it doesn’t just magic up food, you have to put something in there for it to cook. It does pretty good chicken tenders.” Zoe might have relied a bit too much on frozen food to get through the last two years.

“That’s barbaric!” He set the basket down as if it had burned him.

She burst out laughing. “Welcome to Earth, baby.” She kissed his cheek. “How about you sit down and I make us some eggs. Avert your eyes if you don’t want to see the gruesome cooking process.”

Instead of backing up, Asher placed arms on either side of her, trapping her against the counter and captured her mouth with his own, the good morning kiss a stronger pick-me-up than any coffee. When he pulled back, he was smiling.

“For you, I’ll watch this grisly cooking process.”

She grinned. “Remember you agreed. And soon you’ll learn something even scarier… loading the dishwasher.”

The series continues with Knox.

She and Mad were alone in their quarters, thankfully. When they were in public, she was his exile queen and had to at least try to have a bit of decorum. Well, decorum as defined by Guerran standards. It meant she still got to stab people sometimes.

“What does it say?” Mad asked. He scowled at a stack of papers of his own, but he didn’t resist the urge to crumple one and throw it across the room.

Kenzie traced her finger over the words, barely reading them. She’d read the letter half a dozen times already. “She’s found a roommate and taken an apartment. The mysterious job she’s taken is working out well, though she still hasn’t told me what she’s doing. She says it’s nothing illegal, but…”

“Nothing’s illegal when there aren’t any laws,” Mad finished for her.

“Exactly.” Kenzie placed the letter beside the other letters she had from Carise. “Are we doing the right thing?” she asked, hating how desperate she sounded. “Should I bring her back here?”

Mad crossed the room and pulled her into his arms. “I have someone watching her, you know that. She’s safe. As safe as anyone can be on Guerran.”

Kenzie surrendered to Mad’s embrace. He was right. This wasn’t exactly how she wished life would be like with Carise, but her sister was okay. That was worth everything.

And Kenzie got a hot alien mate out of the deal.

One she had to take pity on. “How much paperwork do you have left?”

Mad groaned and squeezed her even tighter. “Too much. How does one tiny territory generate so much paper? I can’t believe that Jadirel spent this much time on administration,” he grumbled, scowling out the last word.

“Perhaps not.” Kenzie went on her tiptoes and kissed her mate’s cheek. “But you care and he didn’t. Is there any way I can help?” She pulled out of his hug and went to his desk, eyeing the stack of paper. Had it somehow grown in the last few minutes?

No. That was impossible.

Still, she eyed it warily.

Mad clamped half the papers in a hand and shoved them her way. “Figure out what’s important and what I can ignore. I’ll take the other half.”

She could barely hold her stack of papers in one hand. “Care to make this interesting?”

Mad grinned at her. “How? I doubt anything could make this busywork interesting.”

Kenzie flicked her thumb over the edge of the thick sheets. “First one done is the winner.”

He stalked even closer. “And what does the winner get?”

“I suppose you’ll find out.” She looked down at her papers and tried to suppress a grin.

Mad scooped her up around the waist and slung her over his shoulder. Kenzie let out a burst of laughter and dropped the papers. “I’ll take my prize now,” her mate declared as he marched to their bed. “Paperwork can wait.”

“Come on!” Carise tugged on Jaek’s arm at the edge of the market. It was teeming with people, and stalls lined either side of the street, most of them busy. In the distance, she could hear the tinkling sounds of music as a performer got ready.

It was so different from the first market day that she’d been to, Carise wanted to laugh.

If she could get her giant of a mate to actually walk down a street with her.

“You take a look,” Jaek told her. “I’ll watch from over here.”

Over here being a shaded corner that was barely visible from the rest of the market.

Weeks ago, Carise might have been scared at the thought of diving into the market alone. She would have been jumping at her shadow and sure that some sort of violent exile was about to find her.

But there had been no trouble since Baryn’s failed attempt at taking Mad’s palace. Mad had dealt out the punishments as needed, and his territory seemed to be getting better—and possibly more peaceful—by the day.

Guerran would never be completely safe, but Carise didn’t need to fear for her life just from walking down the street.

“The second you lose sight of me, you’re going to come running,” she informed her mate, backing up two steps as if she was actually going to leave him in his little hidey-hole. “You need new shoes and I want a shawl. That’s it. Then we go and have lunch with Mad and Kenzie. No more than an hour in the market.”

Jaek went a bit pale at that. “An hour?” he croaked out.

Okay. This was a bad idea. Clearly exposure therapy wasn’t going to get her mate to accept the occasional trip to the market. And maybe Carise was being unkind for trying. But she wanted to experience all Guerran had to offer. And she loved doing that with her mate at her side.

“Or you could go to the palace and I’ll shop on my own.” It wouldn’t be too bad, and she could be quick.

But though Carise wasn’t actually scared of the streets of Guerran anymore, market day by herself was a bit intimidating.

Jaek firmed his shoulders. “No. Let’s do this.” He stared at the street as if he was about to charge into battle, and something unknotted in Carise.

She grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together. And they approached the market together. Just as it should be.

“Teleportation?” Emily asked, looking at the long list she’d jotted down.

“Real.”

“Wait, seriously?” She shifted on Oz’s lap, pulling back so she could look at him and her list.

“Yes, of course.” He seemed confused that she was shocked. He trailed his lips along her neck. “Now how long did you want to do this for?”

“Twenty questions is traditional.” Though if he kept kissing her she might stop before then.

“Psychics?”

“Fake.”

“Killer artificial intelligence?”

“Why would we allow something like that?” His hands cupped her waist and Emily reveled in the heat.

“Because!”

“Because why?” His chuckle had a sexual tinge to it and all she’d have to do was lean forward the tiniest bit to feel just how ready he was for this game to be over.

“Star Trek?”

“What’s a Star Trek?”

Ok, this was serious. “It’s only one of the best TV shows ever! And there’s been a version of it on for over fifty years. I mean, not continuously, and some of it is kind of terrible. But otherwise it’s good.”

“That’s a very coherent recommendation.” He went back to kissing her.

“Wormholes.”

“No.”

“Clones.”

“Sort of.”

“Sort of?” She wanted yes or no answers, not riddles.

“I’m not a scientist,” Oz grumbled. “It has to do with blood or organs. I remember learning about it in school.”

She’d have to be satisfied with that, and she hoped it wasn’t like that movie where they said they were cloning organs but it was actually people. “Mutants.”

“Mutations don’t exist where you’re from?”

No X-Men. Darn it. She’d been hoping that one was real. “Giant robots you can pilot to kill monsters?”

That got Oz to pull back. “What kind of planet is Earth? Giant monsters? Killer AI? How did you survive for decades?”

Emily burst out laughing. “That’s all fiction! But now since my life is like something out of a movie I’m trying to determine what’s real and what’s not. I promise you, Earth is incredibly mundane and boring.” And she missed it. Sometimes. But then there were the times she got to wake up with Oz holding her close, and she knew that this was the life she would have chosen, no matter what.

She wanted him. She loved him.

“Okay,” she said. “Enough of the game. For now.”

“Just wait until I turn the tables on you,” he warned.

Emily laughed. Like that would happen. She sealed her mouth over his, kissing him long and deep.

Yeah, there was nothing better than this.

The next time his mother wanted to do a meal together, Lena was going to be sick. Really sick. Closed bathroom door and scary sounds sick. Anything to get out of it. The worst part was, she was almost certain that Lureyne had been on her best behavior. She hadn’t made any comments about Lena being human. She hadn’t suggested that Solan go out and find a Zulir wife.

She had started hinting that she’d love to have grandchildren by next summer. But that would be a battle to fight on another day.

Lena trudged up the stairs of Solan’s house and sank onto the bed. She wanted to curl up and sleep for the next three weeks. But they had meetings at headquarters and planning and parties for his brother’s wedding. She’d gone from having no connections on Aorsa to having too many.

But it was the cost of being at Solan’s side, and nothing could make her give him up.

Something jabbed into her back and Lena rolled to the side. She’d landed on a pair of Solan’s pants and there was something in the pocket. She reached in and her hand brushed against something hard connected to a chain. She pulled it out and saw one of the most beautiful necklaces she’d ever seen.

It was big, but somehow understated at the same time. A rich green stone, not quite emerald green, but darker than jade, encircled by a gold chain.

She usually only wore jewelry on special occasions, but she wanted to wear this right freaking now.

The chain was long enough that she could put the necklace on without bothering with a clasp. And once the weight settled, it felt right. Did she ever have to take this thing off?

She scrambled out of bed and walked into the bathroom where there was a mirror. And there she got to admire the way the green and gold looked against her brown skin. She ran a finger over the chain.

Solan appeared in the doorway, reflected beside her in the mirror. Lightning sparked in his eyes and she felt a flare of his power deep within her. “Do you like it?” he asked.

“I love it. Where did you get it?” They’d been at each other’s sides every moment of the last few weeks, and she couldn’t remember stepping into a jewelry shop.

“At the village. While we had our day off.” He stepped closer, right behind her, and circled his arms around her waist. “I like the way it looks on you.”

She leaned back into him, savoring his heat. “Then I’ll keep wearing it,” she promised.

His fingers danced around to the hem of her shirt and he started to pull it off. “I want to see it when it’s all that you’re wearing.”

Lena spun around and kissed him. That was an idea she could get behind.

“I’m not sure I understand how this is going to work,” said Crowze.

“You play this for fun?” Grace added, looking down at the mat that Zac had laid on the floor.

Zac was holding the spinner board and trying not to feel affronted. He had loved this game when he was a kid. And Crowze and Grace said they wanted to know a little bit more about Earth culture. What was better than playing a game from Earth?

“It’s fun, I promise.” It was fun? Right? He actually hadn’t played the game in years, but it had been the first thing on his mind when given the chance to create something. After all, it wasn’t too complicated.

“So how does this work?” asked Grace.

“I spin the spinner thing and you get a color. And a body part. So if it says red hand you have to put your hand on one of the red dots. And if you get blue foot you have to put your foot on one of the blue dots. And we all do it together and see who lasts the longest.”

“We have many other games we can show you,” Crowze offered.

“I know it sounds weird, but just trust me. It’s fun.” It was going to be fun, dammit. It’s was Zac’s turn to plan their date and he wanted this to work.

Crowze held the spinner board out to Grace and she flicked the spinner and read the results. “Okay. Let’s do this.” She put her foot on the correct color.

Crowze approached the board with the same caution and gave it a spin. He put his hand on one of the yellow dots.

Then it was Zac’s turn. He put a hand on a red dot and found himself at eye level with Grace’s crotch.

“And this is a game for kids?” Grace asked, looking down at him with a grin.

“Adults can play it too,” he said.

They got into it after that, one spin leading to another leading to another, and before long the three of them were all twisted up together, bodies entwined in a configuration that couldn’t happen naturally.

Crowze fell first, his ass hitting the ground and his legs shooting out. That took Grace down and she landed on top of him, managing to swing out a leg and trip Zac.

But from the way their bodies were pressed up against each other, Zac couldn’t regret that they had all lost the game. And when he felt lips press against his neck he smiled.

Best game ever.

The training center smelled exactly the same as the last time Hanna had walked through the door: cleaning products, engine oil, and just a hint of sweat. But this time the guard working the front door gave her a friendly smile as she passed by him and headed toward the main room.

She was eager to get inside, but when she reached the final door, it was locked.

Hanna pulled on it again, just to make sure, but the thing didn't budge.

Hmm.

She would have expected a light above the door or something, anything, to indicate the room was in use. She had the place reserved.

Didn't she?

Hanna snatched her comm out of her pocket to make sure she had the right day, and all was exactly as expected. There was even a convenient notation informing her she was expected.

Well. She was here. So where was... Jori?

She was almost certain she was meeting Jori. Who else would it be? But there was no notation on her calendar so maybe she was supposed to be working alone.

Was there any sort of best time she could beat? She had a reputation to build in her new job and she wanted to excel. And if there was a way to stick other people's faces in it, to prove to them that a punting Apsyn was the best Synnr around, then maybe that would also be something she wanted to consider.

Was there a plaque? She wanted a plaque.

But to earn that plaque she needed to get into the punting room.

For half a second, she considered blasting through the door with her spark. Maybe this was some sort of psychological test and only those strong enough to make the hard decisions got to move forward.

Or she might end up with a hefty bill for destroying government property.

Yeah, no use risking it.

The lock clicked a second before the door burst open and Hanna had to jump back to stop from getting plowed over by the two people exiting the training floor. They were chatting brightly, big smiles on their faces.

Until they saw her.

"Oh." It was more of an exhalation than a word, but Hanna felt it down to her gut.

Of all the people on the freaking moon, she had to run into the two she never wanted to see.

Luci and Ax.

How were you supposed to apologize to people you'd accidentally kidnapped and then nearly gotten killed? Was there some sort of bouquet of flowers? A bottle of wine? That might take care of Ax.

Hanna had wronged Luci so much worse. She'd used and broken her trust before the (accidental) kidnapping. And now Hanna had everything she could want, a partner, a job, a future among the Synnrs who had once been her enemy.

Luci had her own life. Things were going well for her. But that was no thanks to Hanna.

Ax hung a protective arm around Luci's shoulders and tugged her closer, as if Hanna was still some kind of threat.

"We're done in there," Luci said after the moment stretched for too long.

"Great. I'm supposed to be training." Even to Hanna's ears, that sounded stupid.

But Luci and Ax moved on and Hanna could breathe again. There was nothing she could say or do that would make things okay between her and Luci. All she could count on was time.

And maybe she'd look into that wine idea.

Hanna headed into the room and didn't see any evidence of Ax or Luci. The course reset itself automatically after every training session, so she had no idea what they were working on. And she still wasn't completely sure why she was there.

"Jori?" her voice echoed off the high ceiling.

No one answered.

Annoying.

She checked out the control panel at the edge of the course, but it was in standby mode. She supposed that she could set a training course for herself, but instead she sat on the bench and pulled her comm back out.

No message from Jori. No updates on her calendar. This whole thing still felt like a slight mystery.

The door banged open and Jori rushed in. "Sorry I'm late, my meeting with Major Ozar went long." He gave her a quick kiss before setting his bag down beside the bench.

When Hanna leaned in for more, Jori backed away. "We only have the room for an hour," he warned.

She smiled. "I can be fast."

He let out a groan but held his ground. "There are surveillance cameras in here, you know."

"Like that's going to stop me." But she took mercy on him and kept her distance while he went to the control panel and started typing in commands. "So are we here for a rematch? Because I definitely won last time."

He shot her a grin over his shoulder. "By cheating."

"Cheaters always win." Maybe there was some other lesson she was supposed to have learned by now, but Hanna couldn't even pretend to be disappointed by most things in her life. She pushed herself off the bench and came to stand by Jori. "So what's the play? Are we trying teamwork again? We're much better at it these days."

He scoffed. "Braz no, I want a rematch."

That made her sputter. "What?"

"You. Me. Same parameters as last time: we are racing for the keys out of this place. Winner gets the glory, loser..." he trailed off.

"Loser has to do whatever the winner says for a week?" Anticipation lit Hanna's blood. She could beat Jori at this course. She'd done it once. And the man was too nice. She could still be ruthless.

"That's a dangerous game," he pointed out.

"We love to live dangerously, don't we?" She could practically feel the wind in her hair from the last time she and Jori had requisitioned their bikes to go for a ride. She wished she could keep hers forever, but apparently the government frowned on that.

Spoilsports.

"Take your starting position," Jori said, all business.

It only made her want to rile him up more. But honor and glory - and all the wicked commands she could think of - were on the line. So she went to her starting position and centered herself.

For all her confident talk, she'd only done this course once. She was no expert. But the course redesigned itself for every training session. She didn't need to be an expert, she just needed to be smart about it.

Jori wouldn't fall for the same trick - faking fear and injury - again. Probably. The trick to winning had little to do with the course and everything to do with Jori. They might have successfully infiltrated a fusion bike gang and brought it down, but he still thought like a soldier.

Dirty spy tricks would bring her glory.

The timer ticked down, each second somehow taking longer than the last until suddenly she had the go-ahead and started running. She'd learned from last time that there was no dawdling at the entrance to the course, not if she didn't want to get shot by lasers.

Which she didn't, for the record.

The lights dimmed once she was properly in the course, simulating a night that wouldn't come for months. It made it difficult to see into dark corners or very far beyond where she was moving, and there was no way to spot Jori. She knew the rough size of the warehouse they were in, but it was nearly impossible to believe that they were in the same building when she could hear and even smell the scent of the city.

"Punt." She dropped and rolled as a robot crossed her path, laser shooting out of its arm. Hanna blasted it with her spark, but that only seemed to make it angry.

She crawled on her arms to get around a corner and waited, barely daring to breathe, until the sounds of its lumbering footsteps faded. She'd never beat Jori if a stupid robot took her out first.

Maybe someone else would be reluctant to absolutely trounce someone they loved, but Hanna didn't have any qualms.

Not about this, at least.

Once she was sure she was clear of any obstacles, her goal was to get higher. She had a vague idea of where she was headed and she wanted to know if Jori was on a similar path. Climbing anything might make her a target, and it would limit her chances to defend herself, but she had to do it.

Hanna took the chance when she spotted a pile of crates deep in a dark recess between two structures. The crates abutted a fire escape, and the fire escape lead to the ledge of another structure. From there, she had a good vantage of the rest of the course.

It was beautiful in its own way, an illusion seeming to stretch out for kilometers. But she had to stay low and she couldn't stay still. Drones patrolled around, looking for anything that moved, and she wasn't about to become a target.

Hanna stayed as close to the ground as she could, lying flat and scanning her surroundings. The first thing she saw was another lumbering robot patrolling a path two structures over. Above it, a drone circled. Were they working together?

She was tempted to try and take out the drone from here. It would be a difficult shot, but she could do it. On the other hand, it would give away her position to any other drones or bots.

No use.

A blinking tower caught her eye and Hanna smiled. That was the goal. And she was close. On the ground she'd have to pass by that robot and the drone and who knew how many other obstacles.

From the rooftop, it was only three structures away. She could have her key and be done in four minutes.

And not even a hint of Jori.

That made her pause.

She should have seen evidence of him by now, even if it was just a flurry of activity from a drone or a bot. The course wasn't that big. He'd make some noise.

He was up to something.

Hanna scanned her surroundings again, this time looking for Jori instead of any threat. But there was nothing.

Where was her soldier? Was it possible he was learning new tricks?

She didn't like it. Maybe she could once this whole exercise was finished, but now all she wanted was to show him up.

Love really was a miracle.

Hanna forced herself to stop worrying about Jori. Wherever he was, he wasn't here and that was all that mattered.

Then she moved. The drones wouldn't hit her if she moved fast enough. She summoned her wings to act as a shield, even knowing that their bright color might attract attention.

It did.

Lasers blasted, but she absorbed the hits with little more than a grunt. Hanna shot one drone with her spark and didn't wait to see if she obliterated it. But the smoke that tickled her nose told her she did.

She climbed the metal tower which was topped by the blinking light and her prize. She was so close she could taste it.

There wasn't a platform or anything at the top, so she had to wrap her arm around a steel pole while reaching for the box that held her goal.

Except there wasn't a box.

"What?"

It was the blinking light from a disabled drone. The blinking tracking light.

Oh punt.

Hanna chucked the light and threw herself backward, wings spread wide as three drones assailed her from all sides. Her sensor vest vibrated with every hit until suddenly her limbs locked up and she could barely control her wings enough to keep from crashing to the ground in a pile of broken limbs.

She couldn't move. With the sensor overloaded she was 'dead' until Jori completed the mission.

And sure enough, less than a minute later, the buzzer chimed and the lights came back on as the computer announced a successful end to the mission. The weight let up off Hanna's chest and she pushed herself up.

And there was Jori, holding the key in one hand and grinning at her like he'd just been crowned king.

"How?" she demanded. "I studied my parameters. I knew where that key was."

"You knew to look for the blinking light," he corrected. "It's not my fault you didn't confirm the coordinates. Now, come on, I've been thinking about what I could make you do all mission."

"You played a dirty spy trick!"

"Takes one to know one."

She could get mad. She was a bit miffed at losing, to be honest. But after a minute, Hanna couldn't hold back a sudden burst of laughter. Her rigid soldier was learning new tricks. Maybe there was hope for them yet.

"What's your first command, oh master of mine?" She gave a flourish of a bow.

Jori slung an arm around her shoulders. "Let's wait til we get home. This one might take a while."

They walked out together, anticipation singing in Hanna's blood. Jori might have won the day. But she had a feeling there were no losers in the game between them.

And she couldn't wait to award him his winnings.

“This place is going to be awesome!” Owen said as he gripped the steering wheel and navigated around a vehicle going about twelve miles an hour.

In this snow, Stasia didn’t exactly blame them.

“You’ve said that. A lot.” And she’d believed him the first time. And the third. But going into their fifth hour of driving on what should have been a three-hour trip, she was getting wary. “I saw a sign for a hotel at the last exit. Maybe we should turn around and stay there for the night. The snow is only getting worse.” The plows were out, but they couldn’t keep up with the fat flakes that littered the road.

“No. We’re almost there.” Her mate rarely sounded so serious, but she knew the man’s determined voice.

They were going to make it to the resort or die trying.

Stasia tried to remember if she’d packed any extra emergency equipment when she left, but she feared they only had their winter coats and what they could dig out of their luggage.

And her clothes definitely weren’t meant to keep anyone warm.

If worse came to worst, they could always shift and huddle in the snow. She’d never heard of wolves freezing to death.

“You’re thinking of all the ways this can go wrong, stop. No catastrophizing on vacation.” The car swerved as they hit a patch of ice and Owen let out a vicious stream of cursing.

Stasia had to choke back a laugh. “Okay, babe.”

But Owen’s dedication paid off, and they were able to pull off the highway five minutes later. Magically, the roads were plowed enough to make it to the resort, and there was a parking spot right near the entrance.

Maybe everything was looking up.

Owen threw the car into park and looked over her with a smile. Stasia smiled back. She didn’t know how he’d grown to be the reason her heartbeat in just a couple of months, but he was sure making it speed up now. And soon they’d be alone in their private Lovebirds Suite, beside a roaring fire with nothing but a long weekend of luxury ahead of them.

Getting inside and knowing that they were so close to paradise was its own kind of torture. Stasia let Owen handle the check-in. Apparently, she got a little scary when she wanted things.

Ha! She’d made exactly one med student cry in her entire career. How scary could she be?

But after a moment Owen came back, holding up room keys and grinning. “We’re all good. She said she got us into the very last room.”

“Why does that matter? We had a reservation.” She threw her hands up and shook her head. “Never mind, doesn’t matter. Let’s just go to our room.”

Owen wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. Despite the chill outside, he was a furnace and she burrowed into him. “It’s all good,” he said. “This place is nice.”

And it was. It looked like they’d stepped into some sort of fairy tale, with dark wood walls covered in gorgeous, curving carved vines. The paneling was broken up every so often by slim mirrors that made the place look bigger than it was. And it was all bathed in a soft warm light that made it feel like some idealized version of home.

They were on the third floor and the elevator spit them out to a small hallway with four rooms. Not exactly a penthouse, but she’d been in plenty of penthouses. This vacation with Owen was a first.

He slid the key into the lock and opened the door.

Stasia only realized that he’d frozen when she bumped into him. “What is it?” she tried to look around his shoulders, but he was taking up too much space. “Owen, what is it?”

“We can always go back to that Holiday Inn,” he said as he stepped forward. “I don’t know what’s going on. This wasn’t what I reserved.”

Stasia followed after him, and when she saw what had frozen him in place, all she could do was laugh.

Two beds.

Their romantic getaway suite had two teensy beds that could barely fit one adult, let alone two.

Owen stalked forward and snatched up a note that was sitting on the closest bed. He read it and his face darkened to the kind of angry she only saw when he was in the heat of battle. “That little judgemental--”

“What is it?”

He crumpled the note and threw it on the floor. “It says they changed our reservation because the honeymoon suite is reserved for married couples. What the fuck? You’re my mate. That’s it. We’re leaving.”

He stormed towards the door, but Stasia put her palm against his chest to stop him. “Take a deep breath, love. It’s late and the roads are terrible.” Then her mouth pulled up into the most luscious grin she could manage. “Besides,” she leaned up and kissed him, “I know how creative you are. We don’t need a honeymoon suite. Come on. Let’s break one of those beds.”

She wasn’t going back into the cold. And as Owen pulled off his first layer, her body began to heat up.

If this was the worst challenge vacation threw at them, they were going to have a great time.

And as long as she had her mate, she didn’t care how small the bed was. With him, she was home.

Werewolves.

Freaking werewolves.

Em was doing her best not to freak out for Stasia's sake. Stasia was the one who'd been bitten after all. Thank god her sister was somewhere else at the moment because Em couldn't pretend everything was okay for another minute.

She'd snuck away into a little office that seemed to be used for storage and was doing breathing exercises she'd thought she'd be able to forget after she leanred to get over her stage fright. Who would have guessed they could be used to calm her during a freak out?

The door cracked open and Em jumped as if she'd just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"You shouldn't be in here." It was one of the werewolves. Andre. He was all dark and forbidding and something about him made Em want to scowl.

"The door was unlocked." Em wasn't going to feel guilty, not when one of these wolves attacked her sister.

He tapped on the sign. "Says private, doesn't it?" he raised a brow.

Em hadn't bothered to read the sign. She'd just needed somewhere to have a few minutes to herself. She was about to dive into a tour where every freaking second of her existence would be planned with no room to spare. Couldn't she sneak five minutes to herself now?

Maybe she should cancel the tour.

If Stasia was going to turn into a wolf, she might need her sister.

Of course Stasia would jump off a cliff before she let someone help her.

"I asked you a question," said Andre.

A smart woman wouldn't challenge a werewolf. She'd cast her eyes downward and apologize like a good girl.

Em wasn't that kind of woman. She stepped up close to Andre and poked him in the chest. "Don't do the alpha thing. It doesn't look good on you."

He should have scowled. Em expected a scowl. But when his mouth turned up in a grin she got worried.

"You couldn't handle my alpha thing if you tried." His eyes flashed yellow for a moment as he leaned in close.

Was he going to kiss her?

Em would slap him if he tried.

Or she might kiss him back.

She wasn't quite sure.

Shit.

But Andre leaned back and the yellow faded from his eyes. "Make sure to close the door behind you when you leave the room."

And before she could think of a comeback he was gone.

Em scowled after him.

Who the hell did he think he was?

When she was done in the room she left the door open.

Stupid alpha werewolf.

The tour was over and Em could finally rest. There were about a million things that needed to be delivered to her place, but she was home. Cleaners had come through and aired her house out before she showed up. One of her assistants had made sure there was food in the fridge.

Now she could collapse into a heap and sleep for a month.

Except…

“Holy shit.” Andre came through the door and froze as he took the place in.

Em winced and looked at it with new eyes. She’d bought the place five years ago in a deal that was too good to be true. It was right on the ocean and the builder had known that was the best feature. Even from the front door, she could see the sparkling blue waves that disappeared off into forever.

It wasn’t a huge house, at least not by rock star or billionaire standards. But by ex-military werewolf standards it might be just a smidge too big.

Maybe she didn’t use all ten bedrooms, but it did give her ample space for guests. And she had a gorgeous recording studio in the basement.

Andre was still looking around with big eyes, though some of the shock was wearing off. And she didn’t see any judgement in its place.

Good. Good. She could work with that.

And why was she freaking out anyway? He was her mate. He was stuck with her.

And he was moving in.

It hadn’t been so much of a question as an assumption, one they’d both made as the tour wrapped up and they started making plans. One comment led to another, and soon they were talking about moving companies and relocating. He didn’t need his apartment in New York if he was going to be staying with her.

“What do you think?” she tried to keep any apprehension out of her voice. He was her mate, but he was still Andre and he’d tease the hell out of her if she sensed weakness.

Only fair since she’d do the same.

He took a few more steps in and stopped at the foot of the grand staircase, circling slowly until he faced her, face contemplative. “Isn’t it a bit… small?”

Her mouth dropped open and she glared. “Really? Not big enough for your ego? I think the place next door is for sale.”

“Next door? I can’t see any neighbors.” He looked out the windows, but the only thing to see was the ocean.

Yes, the house was on a few private acres. “No neighbors means we can do what we want.” She reminded him. “Run when we want.”

He turned, strode forward, and pinned her against the banister. He snuck a kiss but pulled away before Em could surrender to it. She tried to chase it, but he let her go.

“I’m not talking about running.”

“Yeah?” Desire lit through her. “No one can see through the windows,” she told him. Earlier exhaustion was gone, replaced with the need for her mate.

“Then why are you still dressed?” Andre reached forward and pulled her shirt off.

Em grinned. Cohabitation was looking better and better by the second.

Andre’s arms were wrapped tight around Em as she slowly woke. All around her the air was gorgeous and green smelling, making her inner wolf want to purr.

Well, no, not purr. She was a wolf now, damn it. She had standards to keep up.

The ground under them was soft and cool and would have been perfect in her fur. But then she shivered and realized sometime in the night she and her mate had both shifted back to their human forms.

Her eyes widened as panic zinged through her. “Andre,” she whispered his name as if she was afraid an owl might overhear. “Andre, wake up.”

Her mate groaned and pulled her closer, lips trailing over her neck.

This time her shiver had nothing to do with the cold. She wanted to melt into him and see where this morning could take them. Distantly she heard a horn blare and the green smell of fresh earth was disturbed by something rubbery and modern.

A road. Nearby.

Where were they?

And where were their clothes?

They were coming up on the end of this leg of the tour and she remembered Andre’s wicked smile the night before as he invited her for a run. A sane woman would have said no. Or at least insisted that they run in their human skin.

But Em was beginning to realize that she had no defenses against Andre’s smile. And running as a wolf was her second favorite thing to do with her mate.

She couldn’t remember what city they were in, but that was nothing new. As long as someone reminded her before she ran on stage and made a fool of herself, it would all be well.

Unless some photographer caught a picture of her and Andre walking out of a forest naked.

Oh god. This was going to get plastered all over the internet by lunchtime. She’d have to make some excuse, exhaustion or rehab or something and check into a residential facility to forestall any rumors.

Better the world think she was on drugs than tell them the truth.

You see, a few months ago I was turned into a werewolf and also I sort of have magic powers. No, I’m not crazy, why do you ask? My sister’s a werewolf too!

She could kiss her career, and possibly her freedom, goodbye.

“Your heart’s racing,” Andre said as he finally rose to consciousness. He smoothed his hand over her naked stomach, a move that would normally make her shiver in delight, but now she was too busy freaking out to enjoy it. “What’s wrong?”

“Seriously?” she jerked out of his embrace and rolled to her feet, looking desperately for clothes that she knew wouldn’t be there. “We were supposed to sneak back inside before sunrise. Look, Andre,” she pointed to the canopy of trees over them where light broke through. “Sunlight! People! It’s morning and we’re going to get caught!”

Maybe she could use her wonky magic powers to hide them from prying eyes?

But, no, the last time she’d tried magic, she’d blown an impressive hole in the dirt.

“Calm down,” her mate reached out to touch her, but she was already stepping farther away.

“Calm down? I’m naked in the woods! Don’t tell me to calm down.”

He made a sultry sound in the back of his throat and she could feel his gaze rake over her. Something low in her gut tightened and almost cut through the panic.

“Do not be sexy at me right now,” she glared.

“I’m always sexy.”

She let out a wordless shout and glared even harder. She might love the guy, but she would swear he lived to piss her off sometimes.

Andre stood and gathered her in his arms. His body was warm and smelled of the woods, and it felt like coming home. She relaxed against him.

“Some rockstar you are,” he teased as he rubbed his hand down her back. “Never caught out naked with a man before. They’re going to make you start singing adult contemporary if you don’t tarnish your image a bit.”

“You’re a dick,” she said it with no heat, her lips moving against his chest. “I’m going to find a new mate.”

Though it was a joke, Andre growled and tightened his hold on her. “Come on, I’ve got a plan.”

“Care to share with the class?” she asked as he let her go and started walking.

“Maybe your new mate will share his plans with you.”

She rolled her eyes, but Andre managed to shake some of her panic out of her. And when they made it to the edge of the woods, he pumped his fist and said, “yes! I thought so.”

This time she waited, and he did share.

“Tour bus is right on the edge of the parking lot. And it’s got a keypad entry system. As long as we can make it there without being seen, we can find something to wear. Or find a way to call one of the PAs to bring us clothes. We’re golden.”

“You’ve been stuck naked in the woods before, haven’t you?” he was far too calm to think otherwise.

He grinned over his shoulder. “Race you.”

And before she could agree, he took off.

Damn the paparazzi, she was going to win. And as she streaked past the edge of the parking lot, she tipped her head back and laughed.

One thing was certain: life with her mate was never boring.

“Hey there, little guy,” Rowe bent down to scratch behind the ears of the friendly brown pup that sauntered up to him like they were long-lost friends. He didn’t see a collar, but the dog was clean and wagging his tail happily.

Hmm.

“Where’s your mom and dad?” Yes, he was talking like the dog understood him, but no one was around to tease him. Vi was waiting in line to buy them drinks at the little vendor on the edge of the park while he stood near the fountain and waited for her to come back.

And now he had a new dog friend.

Was it really so weird to wonder if the dog could understand him? After all, he understood people perfectly when he was in his other form.

Rowe looked around to see if anyone was searching frantically for a runaway hound, but everyone around him seemed in their own little worlds. No one paid the animal any mind.

“What am I supposed to do with you?” he and Vi hadn’t talked about pets. Or kids. Their lives were too up in the air while they were hunting down leads from the files they’d taken from Rosalie’s apartment.

But what if the little pup didn’t have a home?

Were he and Vi ready for a pet? Or more?

They had an entire pack to help them. Surely they’d find a way to make it work. He could imagine long walks in the park, throwing the ball and laughing as the dog failed at fetch. Maybe the dog would even be brave enough to run with the pack.

Maybe it was time to start thinking–

“Oh my god, Chester!” A panicked male voice called and the dog at Rowe’s feet barked.

Rowe looked over to see Vi standing beside a frantic man who was clutching a broken collar in one hand and a leash in the other.

“You found him! Thank you. Come here, boy!” the man knelt down and slapped his legs. “Come on.”

Chester bounded over to his dad and accepted the hugs and pets that came as the man was reunited with his dog. With a final thanks, man and dog took off, leaving Vi and him alone.

“You were planning to take that dog home, weren’t you?” she asked, handing him a bottle of soda.

“What? No?” he shook his head vigorously, denying the accusation.

Vi snorted. “Sure thing. Just make sure you ask me before you start bringing home strays.”

That wasn’t a no. Maybe there was room for a dog, and more, in their future.

Rowe couldn’t wait to find out.

Vi clutched her cards tight and studied her mate. It was down to the two of them, both Owen and Gibson having folded.

Her hand sucked. Five cards that didn’t belong in the same zip code, let alone the same fingers. But no way in hell was she letting Rowe win this one. His chips were piled high, and his boasts about being really good at poker apparently true.

But he was going to learn what it meant to play with a witch.

Vi took a deep breath and summoned just a bit of energy into her fingers as she chose which cards to throw away. This was going to work. It had to.

She exchanged three cards and smiled at her hand.

Yes. That was a bit better.

Rowe narrowed his eyes as if he knew something was wrong, but couldn’t tell what. His hand hovered over his own cards and for a crazy moment, she thought he wouldn’t discard them at all. Which would ruin everything.

Come on, come on. Live a little.

And there he went, discarding two of his cards and drawing two new ones. He examined them and his brow furrowed. Then he frowned.

Then he looked up at her, ready for a fight. “What the hell, Vi?” He flashed his hand at her and she burst out laughing as she saw the two Jokers he’d just pulled.

Owen and Gibson saw the cards and laughed right with her.

“You’re telling me you winning ten hands in a row was totally legit,” she challenged as she gasped between breaths. “Check his sleeves for cards.”

Rowe’s eyes widened and he backed away from the table. “Let’s not get too crazy now.”

“You want to play with a witch, you’re going to have to cheat better than that, baby.” Her laughter was dying down, and she felt absolutely no guilt. There were no rules in love and poker.

But she got up from the table anyway and tugged on Rowe’s arm. “I think we’re calling it a night, boys. I need to show my mate a thing or two about winning.”

Rowe wrapped his arms around her and picked her up, surprising a yelp out of her. But Vi couldn’t stop grinning.

Whoever said cheaters never won didn’t have a wolf for a mate. And she couldn’t wait to claim her prize.

"You’re going to love it,” Bryan promised with slightly more confidence than he felt. Already he could see flashing lights coming from the door and hear the high-pitched chimes from a hundred games.

“I loved what we were doing,” Kerry shot back. She wore one of his shirts like an oversized tunic over jeans that shaped her ass and made his mouth water. Her red hair was pulled back into a tight braid. She was ready to kick ass.

And Bryan’s cock threatened to mutiny at the thought of what they’d been doing nearly nonstop for the last day. “I’m taking my mate on a date, damn it,” he fake groused with a grin.

Kerry wrapped her arms around his shoulders and planted a quick kiss on his lips. “So take me.”

Was there an obscure alleyway nearby? Because taking her now might take the edge off.

Gibson had told them to take a day for themselves after he reported back about the plea deal. Bryan had wanted to argue. Jackson was still missing, and they needed to find her. But Gibson was calling in everyone for the search. Bryan and Kerry would be refreshed when they came in.

So tonight was all theirs.

“What is this place?” Kerry asked before they went through the doors.

“It’s a retro arcade and brewery. I’ve been looking for a reason to check it out.” He’d passed by it half a dozen times already, but never had a good enough excuse to go in. He hadn’t wanted to go alone.

“You know I play a mean game of skee ball,” Kerry warned. “And love isn’t going to make me hold back.”

“Love?” Bryan grinned even wider. The night was looking up. “That’s how you’re going to tell me. Here I’m planning some big event to lay my heart at your feet and you just let it slip?”

“You’ll lay your heart at my feet when I hand you your ass at skee ball.” She gave him a quick kiss and led him inside.

Inside it was… a lot. Especially to shifter senses. The overhead lights were dim to make the blinking and flashing from the games all the more vibrant. It reminded Bryan a bit of a casino, though at least it didn’t reek of cigarette smoke. After a few minutes, his senses adjusted well enough to function.

He bought beers while Kerry found the threatened skee ball game and staked their claim. She already held a wooden ball in her hands, and her eyes glowed with unholy glee when she saw him.

“What do I get when I win?” she asked, taking a beer from him and sipping curiously.

He’d ordered them both something light. They didn’t need all of their senses overwhelmed; hearing and sight were more than enough. Bryan pretended to think about it while he sipped his own beer. “You get me,” he finally said, taking the ball from her and studying the machine. He pitched it down the ramp and watched as it sailed into the one hundred point bucket.

Kerry’s eyes narrowed as he picked up a second ball and scored another hundred points. “And if I lose?” Her tone suggested losing was not an option.

Bryan pitched a third ball, but this one only scored ten points. “Then you’re stuck with me,” he said.

She laughed and put tokens into the machine beside him. “It’s on, buddy. There’s only room for one champion in this relationship.”

“You’ve got the Mission Impossible theme song in your head, don’t you?” Stasia asked as they walked from the subway station to AR’s building.

“I am a serious person,” Owen said, brows drawn down and face grim. “I would never.”

“Uh-huh.” She knew her mate well enough that she could practically hear the tell-tale beats of the song.

“So what’s the plan?” His face transformed from grim to grin. “Do we put knock out powder in his drink? Set a fire to cause a distraction? What are you thinking?”

They were doomed.

“We went over this at home. Andre is going to call you at 7:15 and you’re going to take it. Duck into AR’s office. I’ll keep him occupied as long as I can while you try and crack the computer. You will not hum the Mission Impossible theme song at any point. Got it?” Stasia was trying not to feel like she was betraying her brother. They may have not been that close, but he still was her brother.

And possible evil.

More evil than expected.

“And I get caught, play dumb. I’ve got it, babe.” He put an arm around her shoulders, pulled her close, and brushed a kiss against her forehead.

They were really doomed.

But she trusted Owen more than any other person on the planet. He was a bit of a goofball and didn’t seem to take things seriously, but he got the job done. And he’d get this done. She’d seen the medals he had packed away in the bottom of a moving box. He hadn’t received them for sitting on his ass and joking around.

They rode the elevator up to the penthouse and met AR at the door, all smiles and even a hug. Since her brother was between spouses at the moment–he took after their father in more ways than one–it was just the three of them. His kids lived full-time with their mom.

“I’m so glad you could make it,” AR told them as he led them into his apartment and into the kitchen where he had a charcuterie tray and a bottle of wine waiting. “We should get together more.”

Okay, now Stasia did feel bad. If her brother had nothing to do with this, she was officially a bad person. But she and Owen accepted their wine and engaged in the kind of small talk that was usually reserved for distant acquaintances, not siblings.

At least the cheese was good.

She’d lost track of the time while they chatted and the ringing of the timer on the oven nearly made her jump out of her skin.

AR laughed at her just like the older brother he was. He grabbed an oven mitt and pulled a tray out of the oven. “Why don’t you two get seated in the dining room? I’ll have this ready shortly.”

“Did you actually cook that?” The roast chicken smelled like a dream and she spotted other small ceramic dishes which must have contained sides, but they were covered.

AR rolled his eyes. “Please.”

So that was a no. Good. She doubted her brother could do much more than cook toast and she expected a decent meal along with her spy mission.

She led Owen down the hall to the dining room and they took their seats, Owen stationed conveniently right by the door to make his exit easier.

“We’re doing good,” he murmured. AR was too far away to hear them, but no reason to get sloppy now.

She checked her watch. T-minus thirteen minutes.

It took AR three trips to bring in their feast. When the food hit her tongue she regretted she was on a mission. She could eat everything put in front of her and then some.

“Who made this?” she demanded between bites.

“I had my chef whip it up. If he ever tries to leave me I’m going to have to chain him in the kitchen.” He laughed.

The food was that good, but the joke was a reminder that AR might be involved with Owen and the pack’s kidnapping three years before. Stasia forced herself to smile back.

Owen jolted in his seat and pulled his phone out of his pocket. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me?”

“What?” it sounded so genuine that for a second she didn’t realize it was showtime.

He was already out of his seat. “I’m sorry, I need to take this.” And then he was out of the dining room, leaving Stasia and Owen alone.

“You put up with that?” AR asked her between bites of Brussels sprouts.

Now it was her turn to act. She couldn’t screw this up. “Not like I wasn’t called away a lot when I was working in the ER.”

“And you spent seven years going through medical school. What kind of emergency could Owen have? Too many drunken revelers at a party? He’s a glorified bouncer.”

Stasia’s eyebrows shot up. “He was good enough for you to hire him to protect me.”

“You didn’t think that.”

“Clearly I changed my mind.” Okay, now she was mad. Owen took his job seriously and he was damn good at it. AR wouldn’t last a day. She stabbed at her vegetables to keep from saying something she’d regret. Or something that would get Owen kicked out before he finished his job.

She hoped the USB stick did its job. Neither she nor Owen were hackers, but they were the only ones guaranteed access to AR’s place.

She and her brother lapsed into silence as they ate their food. Several minutes ticked by and she was certain Owen would get caught by a security alarm or some lurking guard they hadn’t accounted for.

She didn’t want to fight her way out of the building. AR was still her brother. But she’d protect her mate first.

Always.

Several minutes later Owen came back into the room and sank into his seat with a sigh. “Sorry about that. Can you pass the Brussels sprouts?”

Stasia handed them over and gave Owen a pointed look. He just smiled and spooned out a large serving. “Looks yummy. So, AR, how’s the plan for world domination coming? Cut down any rainforests lately?”

Stasia groaned as her brother glared.

But Owen reached under the table and gave her leg a squeeze. He’d done his part. And as the dinner went on, she breathed a sigh of relief as AR seemed none the wiser.

Now they just had to see if they had anything useful.