Mage

ALLRIGHTSRESERVED

Copyright©2017CyndiFriberg
CoverartbyDarAlbert
Editor:MaryMoran

ElectronicBookPublication,January2017
TradePaperbackPublication,January2017

Edition1a

Withtheexceptionofquotesusedinreviews,thisbookmaynotbereproducedorusedinwholeorinpart
byanymeansexistingwithoutwrittenpermissionfromtheauthor,CyndiFriberg.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or
locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used
fictitiously.

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Mage

CyndiFriberg

BattleBorn,BookTen:Letos,anotorioustechnomage,alongwiththeothertwomembersoftheTriad
mustcalmthepeopleofRodymiaandprovethatanewkindofgovernmentcanworkforaplanetthathas
only known tyranny. As if that’s not challenging enough, into his life strolls Mirella, the enigmatic
Bilarrian Ambassador. Letos wants her with an all-consuming passion, yet he senses deceit, and one
wrongmoveatthispointcouldreignitethefiresofwar.

Mirellahaslivedherentirelifeintheshadowofothers.SheissenttoRodymiaunderfalsepretenses,
neverexpectingtoencounterhermate.ButoncesheseesLetos,inhaleshisscentandexperienceshis
taste,herheartwillacceptnootheroutcomethanbondingwiththeotherhalfofhersoul.Sheknowshe
wantshertoo,butcantheirbuddingaffectionsurviveherdeception?Orwillthesecretshiddeninher
pastdestroyanyhopeofpeacebetweentheirworlds?

NotetoReaders:Thisbookcontainsdetaileddescriptionsofsizzlingpassiononlysuitableformature
readers.

FromCyndi: Battle Born is a fully integrated sci-fi series. Each romance is resolved within the given
book,butmanyplotelementscontinueonfromstorytostory.Forthisreason,it’sbesttoreadthebooksin
order.Enjoy!

Contents

Prologue

ChapterOne

ChapterTwo

ChapterThree

ChapterFour

ChapterFive

ChapterSix

ChapterSeven

ChapterEight

ChapterNine

ChapterTen

ChapterEleven

Epilogue

Prologue

“Comeon,Vox.It’stimetoreturn.You’verestedlongenough.”
Adeepauthoritativevoicepenetratedthedarkness,drawingVoxoutoftranquillethargy.“Rested”?

He wasn’t resting. He’d been fighting for his life. Everything else might be hazy, but that one fact was
clear.

Histhoughtsweresomuddledittookhimamomenttorecognizethespeaker.AwredLoriet,knownto

mostasMasterFire,oneofthemostpowerfulmagesonBilarri.VoxjustcalledhimFather.

Vox muttered an objection and sank deeper into the velvet darkness. It was comfortable here,

peaceful.Nowthatthefirehadburneditselfout.Forendlessdayshe’dbattledthefire,terrifiedthathe’d
bedevouredbytheheat.Butgraduallytheflamessputteredout,leavingnothingbutachingdarkness.Fora
timehe’dfoughtthevoidtoo,strugglingtofreehimselffromitscloyingembrace.Hewasstillyoungand
had much to accomplish in life. He wasn’t ready for the next plane of existence. Yet the darkness was
persistent,bleedingawayhisdeterminationalongwithhisstrength.He’dneverwishedfordeath,never
invitedit,buthe’dacceptedthatdeathwasunavoidable.

“Vox,dear.Comebacktous.We’vebeenterriblyworriedaboutyou.”
Hismother.Hesighed.Hisfatheralwaysthundereddemands,expectingimmediateobedience,while

his mother cajoled, wielding guilt with ruthless skill. She was also sweet and loving, which made her
subtlemanipulationssurprisinglyhardtoresist.

“Mother.” Pain erupted all over his body and he moaned. He had no strength left. How was he

supposedtoresumethefight?“WhereamI?”

“You’re aboard a hospital ship called the Intrepid,” his mother explained, her tone smooth and

patient.

“He doesn’t care about the ship’s name,” Awred snapped. “This is Lunar Nine, the Earth outpost

operatedbythebattlebornrebels.You’vebeenhidinghere,likeadisobedientchild.”

That was right. Vox took several deep breaths, backing off the pain just enough so he could think.

He’dcometoEarthaftersensingafriend’sperilandstayedbecausehefoundthebattleborncauseworthy
andcompelling.“How.Long?”Histhroatwasraw,makingeachwordpainful.

“You’vebeenunconsciousforthepasttwoweeks,”hisfathertoldhim.“Wearrivedthreedaysago.”
If he’d lost two weeks, he’d come to Earth about six weeks ago. Of course, Lunar Nine wasn’t

technicallyonEarth.ItwasinsideEarth’sdesolatemoon.Buthe’dbeenatStargazerRanchwhenhelost
consciousness,andtheranchwasonEarth.SohowhadhegottentoLunarNine?

Shaking away his rambling thoughts, he slowly opened his eyes. Light stabbed into his brain,

dragginganothergroanfromhissorethroat.

“Here,love.”Hismothercarefullyliftedhisheadandheldaglasstohisdrylips.
He drank, blinked his eyes, then drank again. The water was cool, a blissful relief for his abused

tissues.

Slowly the room came into focus. With only pale gray walls and movable partitions, there wasn’t

muchtosee.Helayonatreatmenttable,hisheadslightlyelevated,andheworealoosemedicalgown.
His parents stood on either side of the narrow bed. His tall, imperious father and regal mother both
dressedinrichgarmentsbefittingtheirstation.Neithereverappearedinpublicwithoutbeingimmaculate
andwellturnedout.Sloppinesswassimplyunthinkable.

“What happened?” It was easier to speak now, though his throat still burned. “Why did I lose

consciousness?”

“You’vebeenveryill,dear.”Hismotherloweredthebedsoshecouldsitontheedge,thentookhis

hand between hers. Her rich auburn hair swept up into an elegant twist that showcased her high

cheekbonesandcompassionategaze.Thegoldringsseparatingherpupilsfromheririses,alsoknownas
phitons,gleamedinthesubduedlight.“IfGeneralNoxhadn’tcontactedus—”

“After eleven days,” Awred flared. “If the fool had waited any longer, even I wouldn’t have been

abletohealyou.”

“Whatmademesosick?”Gettingspecificinformationoutofeitherofhisparentswasdifficultwhen

the other was around. They were notorious for correcting each other and debating opposite points of
view.Manytookittomeantheirdecades-longunionwasintrouble,butVoxknewtheysimplyenjoyed
arguing.

“Doctor Mintell told us it was a common Earth virus called gastroenteritis,” his mother began.

“Apparently,Bilarriansareparticularlysusceptibletoitssymptoms.”

IntrueAwredform,hisfatherargued,“IfonecanbelieveaRodytehybrid.Ifearitwasanattempton

yourlife.YouareheirtooneofthefourthronesofBilarriafterall.”

AsifVoxwouldeverbeallowedtoforget.“I’venotlostsightofwhoIam,Father.”
“Are you sure about that?” Awred crossed his arms over is chest and raised his chin. He’d just

reachedhismiddleyears,buthishairwaspurestwhite.Theanomalymadehisblood-redphitonseven
moredramatic.“Whatareyoudoinghere,andwhywereyoushieldingyourselffromus?Asyourmother
said,ifGeneralNoxhadn’thadabelatedattackofconscience,youwouldhavepassedbeyond.”

He looked from his father to his mother, then away. It had been selfish to hide from his

responsibilities, but Vox desperately needed a break. He’d spent the past twenty-five years studying
historyandgovernance,diplomacyandprotocol,untilhe’dfeltutterlystifledbythelifeloomingbefore
him.Thenhe’dsensedChandar’sterrorandrushedtoEarthtohelphisdearfriend.Beingabletofocuson
someone else had been so refreshing that he offered to train the battle born as they unleashed their
dormantmagic.Itwasanhonortheydidn’tfullyunderstand,whichwaspartoftheappeal.Noonereally
knewhimhere.Someknewhistitles,butnoonebowedandblushed,scramblingtopleasehim,orworse,
triedtomanipulatehimtogainaccesstohisfather,MasterFire,orhisuncle,thecurrentkingoftheFire
Islands.

“I’msorryIworriedyou,butI’mnotgoingback.”Hesawnoreasontoavoidtheconflict.Nothing

theycouldsaywouldchangehismind.

With predictable indignation, his father puffed out his chest and narrowed his eyes. “You had your

littleadventure,butit’sovernow.YouwillaccompanyusbacktoBilarriassoonasyou’restrongenough
totravel.”

“I’mneededhere.”
His mother gasped, then scooted off the bed and moved closer to her life mate. “You’re needed at

hometoo.Yourfatherisright.Thishasgoneonlongenough.”

Assoonastheyjoinedforcesthefightwasgenerallyover.Hismotherwaseverybitaspowerfulas

his father and when these two combined energies, no one stood a chance against their might, and
determination.

“I’ll return once I’ve trained enough of the battle born so they can train the others. I’m not to that

pointyet,soIwillremainhere.”Itwasalogicalcompromise.Unfortunately,hisparentsweren’tinthe
moodtobend.

“Impossible.”Hisfathermadeadismissivegesturewithhishand.“Itoldyouruncle,yoursovereign,

that I would not return without you. To do so would make me look weak. I’m guild master. Would you
humiliateMasterFireforthesakeofsomeRodytecriminals?”

It was just such manipulations that had launched Vox’s “little adventure”. He would not be

imprisonedbythecircumstancesofhisbirth.Thethoughtmadehimsmileinwardly.Thedetailsmightbe
vastly different, but his frustration echoed the principles driving the battle born rebellion. They too
wanted to be judged by their actions rather than their heritage. “If you force me home, I will only

disappearagain.”

“Butweknowwheretofindyounow,”hismotherreminded.Thenherexpressionchanged,softened.

Shelookedtiredandconcerned.“Doyoureallywanttoengageinapowerstrugglewithyourfather?No
goodcancomeofit.”

He didn’t want a head-on confrontation with Master Fire, or his brother the king. Vox intended to

returntotheFireIslandsandcontinuehistraining.Eventuallyhe’dtakehisplaceonthethrone.Hejust
neededabitmoretimeawayfromthepalacebeforeheagainlosthimselfinexpectations.So,thequestion
became,howcouldhekeepfromhumiliatinghisfatheryetremainonEarth?

Aslow,calculativesmilecurvedVox’smouth.Hisfathercouldn’treturnemptyhanded.Awredwas

right, that would make him look weak. “Are you aware of how far the battle born rebellion has
progressed?”

Awredrolledhiseyes.“Lotarisfollowingtheevents,buttheyhavenothingtodowithme.”
Thedevelopmentsweremoreimportanttoaregionalkingthanaguildmaster,butVoxdoubtedthat

Awredwasasdisinterestedasheprofessed.“IknowtheCouncilofKingshasfrequentlydebatedwhether
ornottoremoveQuintonKeirefrompower.”

“And they determined that forcing a regime change on Rodymia would result in fallout worse than

allowingKeiretocontinue.AtheartQuintonisacoward.Hisreplacementcouldbemuchworse.”

Voxagreedwiththeposition,soheonlynodded.Buthe’dclearlypiquedhismother’sinterest.
“IknowQuintonhasalreadybeendeposed,”shesaid.“Whybringthisup?”
Hewasn’tsurprisedthathismotherwasbetterinformedthanhisfather.Suchwasfrequentlythecase.

Guildmastersspentsomuchtimeonthemetaphysicalplanethatitinadvertentlylimitedtheirfocus.They
werespiritualbeings,focusedmoreonwhatcamenextthanonpresentchallenges.

“Thebattlebornaretrappedbyasimilarparadox,”Voxtoldhismother.“Theyhadnochoicebutto

removeQuintonfrompower,yetendinghislifewouldhave—”

“That creature yet lives?” Awred’s instant indignation contradicted his claim of ignorance.

“Unacceptable.”

“Thebattlebornandtheiralliesdon’twantcivilwar.Asyousaid,regimechangewasinevitable,but

assassinationwouldhaveemboldenedtheelite.”

“What did the battle born do with Quinton?” All pretense of disinterest dropped away as Awred

movedclosertothebed.

“UnlessGeneralNoxmadeotherarrangementswhileIwasunconscious,Quintonisinacontainment

cell aboard the Destroyer. General Nox has not yet found a location secure enough for long-term
incarcerationthatwouldalsohonortheirneedfordiscretion.”

Awred clasped his hands behind his back. “Incarceration is unacceptable. Quinton Keire’s energy

must be dispersed. He’s guilty of kidnapping and torture, medical experimentation and murder, not to
mentionalonglistofwarcrimes.Ifthebattlebornwon’tholdhimaccountableforhisactions,Bilarri
mustintervene.”

“I agree.” Vox began to relax. His father had arrived at the exact conclusion Vox had intended. “I

suggestyousubmitarequestforextraditiontoGeneralNox.There’snoreasonhe’drefuse.”

“Thiswaywewon’treturnemptyhanded.”Hismothersmiledathimassheplacedherhandonher

life mate’s elbow. “It will also emphasize the importance of what Vox is doing here. This is not a
rebelliousmisadventure.He’sonanimportantdiplomaticmission.”

His father stilled, and for a long, tense moment Vox thought he’d disagree. Then Awred shook his

headandsmiled.“You’retoodamncleverforyourowngood.”

Hismother’ssmilebroadened.“No,dear,he’sjusttoocleverforyours.”
Awredstraightenedhistunicandreclaimedhissternexpression.“Threemonths.Iwillallowthisto

continueforanotherthreemonths,butitwillcostyou.”

Vox had expected this too. His father never capitulated without demanding something in return.

“Nameyourprice.”

“Anheir.Aslongasyouremainunmated,mylineisnotsecure.WhenyoureturntoBilarriinthree

months’time,youwillchoosealifemateandcreatethenextgeneration.”

Voxshouldhaveseenthiscoming.Hisfatherhadbeenafterhimto“settledownandstartafamily”

for longer than he cared to remember. Awred had abdicated the throne when he’d become Master Fire.
Voxwasstillachildatthetime,soAwrednamedhisbrotherLotarashissuccessor.Therehadbeenone
important stipulation to the appointment. When Vox came of age, Lotar must willingly step aside. So,
regardlessofVox’sreluctance,itwashisdutytosirestrongsonsanddaughters,oneofwhomwouldrule
theFireIslandsafterhepassedbeyond.He’dbackedhimselfintoacornerwithoutrealizingit.

Withasighofresignation,helookedintohisfather’seyes.“Agreed.”

ChapterOne

VoxpausedoutsidetheofficeofGovernorRaylonLasenger.Thebattlebornrebelshadsetupano-

frillsheadquartersonthetoplevelofthecommercetiersinsideLunarNine.HiddeninsideEarth’smoon,
the outpost was large and somewhat antiquated, but its proximity to Earth was perfect for the rebels’
mysterious transformation program. Vox’s involvement in the program was indirect. His expertise was
only needed after the transformation had taken place and the warriors gained access to the magic
previouslylockedinsidethem.Still,heknewmoreabouttheprogramthananyBilarrianwasevermeant
toknow.BilarriandRodymiawereatwar.Technically,hewasanenemytothebattleborn,whichmade
hispositionprecarious.

The summons from Governor Lasenger hadn’t been a surprise. Vox set events in motion three days

ago that spun beyond Raylon’s control, and the newly elected governor hated being out of control. Vox
hadn’t intentionally stepped on Raylon’s toes. There had simply been no help for it. Vox saw an
opportunity to advance the battle born cause and he’d taken it. A sly smile spread across his lips. The
opportunityalsoworkedtohisadvantage,butherefusedtofeelguiltyaboutit.

With his focus restored, Vox pushed open the door and strode into Raylon’s office. The governor

stoodbesidehisdesk,studyingachartsolargeitspannedanentirewall.

“Youaskedtospeakwithme,”hesaidwhenRaylonfailedtogreethim.Therebelswerecoarseand

often disrespectful, clearly more comfortable on battlefields than in conference rooms. Vox found their
barbarism oddly invigorating. Life at his uncle’s court was very different from the rough and tumble
existenceofthebattleborn.

Raylon turned off the display with an impatient gesture then faced Vox. “King Lotar of the Fire

Islands requested the immediate extradition of Quinton Keire. You wouldn’t happen to know anything
aboutthat,wouldyou?”

“MyfamilyhassufferedhorriblyatthehandsofKeireagents.”Raylonremainedstanding,soVoxdid

thesame.“Therequestcouldn’thavesurprisedyou.”

“Iwasn’tsurprisedbytherequest,justthetiming.We’vebeenextremelycarefultokeepQuinton’s

locationasecret.HowdidyourunclefindoutQuintonwashere?”

ThecornerofVox’smouthtwitched.He’dprovidedRaylonapermanentsolutiontothecomplications

surrounding Quinton. He would not apologize for something so clearly beneficial. “I might have
mentionedittomyfather.”

“Why?”Raylontiltedhisheadandasparkoflightflashedinsidehisrighteye.
Itwouldhavebeenrudetoask,butVoxwascertainRaylon’srighteyewasartificial.Thebattleor

accidentthatleftthegovernor’sfacescarredhadlikelycosthimtheeyeaswell.“WhydidItellmyfather
thatthemanresponsibleforkidnappingandtorturinghundredsinourbloodlinewasaboardoneofyour
ships? Your mate is a harbinger. You know what the Keires did to my family.” The twisted medical
experiments that had inadvertently resulted in harbingers had been conducted on Bilarrian prisoners in
Vox’sbloodline.They’dbeentargetedfortheirclairvoyance,hunteddownlikeanimals,thensubjectedto
yearsofcaptivityandtortureallinthenameofscience.

“IunderstandwhyKingLotarwantsQuinton.Iwanttoknowwhatyougotoutofarrangingit.”
Indignation swelled inside Vox. He raised his chin and narrowed his eyes. “I’m insulted by the

accusation.”RaylonresentedVoxandalwayswould.VoxhadtrainedChandar,Raylon’smate,longbefore
she met Raylon. Vox had never been Chandar’s lover, but certain forms of Bilarrian training required
intimate contact between mentor and apprentice. Chandar understood that the interaction hadn’t been
personal,butthethoughtofVoxtouchingRaylon’sbelovedmadethegovernordistrustfulandhostile.“The
bloodofmyancestorscriesoutforretribution.Irequirednoothermotivation.”

“Maybe,buttherewassomethinginitforyou,”Raylonpersisted.“WithBilarrians,therealwaysis.”
“ShallIreturntoBilarri?Iwasundertheimpressionthatmyassistancewasnotonlywelcomed,it

wasrequested.”RaylonmightlongtosendVoxpacking,butthegovernorhadn’taskedhimtoremain.That
hadbeennewlypromotedApexGeneralGarinNox,akaRaylon’sboss.

“Ijustwanttohearyousayit.”ThoughRaylonremainedoutwardlyantagonistic,heclearlyhadno

intentionofbanishingVoxfromLunarNine.

“Hearmesaywhat?”
“ThatyouusedQuintonto…accomplishwhateveritwasyouaccomplished.”
Voxchuckled.Raylonwasright,buttherewasnoforceinthegalaxythatwouldgetVoxtoadmitit.“I

arranged a day of reckoning for a very evil man, disposing of an inconvenient prisoner in the process.
Whyarewefightingaboutthis?”

“Youshouldhavecometomefirst.”Raylon’senmityhaddeescalatedtoanannoyedgrumble.
“By requesting Quinton’s extradition rather than just taking him, we offered you, and AG Nox, the

opportunitytoobject.”Vox,andeverymemberofhisfamily,couldteleport.Theroyalguardscouldhave
surrounded Quinton and teleported off the ship with him and none of the battle born could have done
anythingaboutit.SomeoftheirshipshadshieldsstrongenoughtokeepaBilarrianout.LunarNinedid
not.

Raylonjustshrugged,hisfitoftemperapparentlyhavingblownitselfout.Itwashardtomaintainan

argumentwhentherewerenorealpointsofcontention.

“Wasthereanythingelse?”
Raylon started to answer when his office door swung open and Kaden Lux strode in with his new

mate,ahumanfemalenamedLexie.

“Pardontheinterruption,”Kadensaidwithadistractedsmile.
“Notatall,”Raylonwassuddenlywarmerandinfinitelymoretolerant.“Wewerefinished.”
Vox didn’t take offense. Kaden and his brothers were very popular. Nearly as much as the Nox

brothers, who had founded the battle born rebellion. Vox wasn’t battle born and didn’t expect to be
acceptedlikeone.Hewasn’tevenRodyte,forcreation’ssake.

“Actually,wewerelookingforVox,”Lexietoldthem.
Thatwascurious.Whywouldthisnewlybondedcouplebelookingforhim?
Raylonnodded,hisfeaturesexpressionlessagain.“Theconferenceroomisopen.”
Whichwasapolitewayofsaying,“Getthehellout.”
Kaden didn’t seem offended by the dismissal. He took Lexie by the hand and led Vox into the

conferenceroom,onedoordownfromRaylon’soffice.Theycongregatedjustinsidethedoorratherthan
sittingdownaroundthelargetable.

“What did you need?” Vox prompted when they didn’t immediately state their purpose for seeking

him out. “I’m in the process of moving down to Stargazer Ranch.” He was more than ready to be gone
fromtheclaustrophobicapartmentinwhichhe’dbeenstayingsincehisarrivalonLunarNine.Andputting
some distance between him and the surly governor wouldn’t hurt either. The ranch was spacious and
secluded.He’dhavehisowncabinandtheautonomyheneededtoeffectivelytrainthenewlytransformed
warriors.

Vox expected Kaden to explain, but Lexie responded, “I know you’re still recovering from your

illness,butIneedabigfavor.Itshouldn’ttakelong.”

Thehumanseemedunusuallyhesitant,whichpiquedVox’scuriosity.“I’mheretohelp.WhatcanIdo

foryou?”

*****

EmilyJensonsatcross-leggedonhercot,examiningthepicturesshe’dtakenthepreviousevening.It

wastoohardtoseeherlaptop’sscreeninthebrightSerengetisun,soshe’dretreatedintohertenttobegin
preliminary edits on the new images. Her current obsession was African leopards, and the Seronera
regionofTanzaniahadadensepopulationoftheelusivecats.Still,theywereextremelyhardtocatchin
action.

She came to an image of a sleek female who seemed to be foraging in the underbrush. Emily

immediatelyrecognizedthecat’smarkings.ThiswasBinti,orFemale214tothefoundationfundingher
extended stay in Africa. She’d followed Binti’s activities for the past sixteen months. Emily estimated
Binti’sageatsixyears,andsevenmonthsagoshe’ddeliveredtwostillborncubs.Emilyzoomedinonthe
bushes that had caught Binti’s interest and spotted the tiny feline face hidden in the underbrush. Rapid
onsetestruswascommonfollowingthelossofalitter.Emilyshouldhaveexpectedthis.

Thetentflapparted,spillingsunlightintotheinterior,butEmilycouldn’tdraghergazeawayfromthe

perfectlittleface.“Bintihasanewcub,perhapsmorethanone.”

“CongratulationstoBinti.”
Shocked by the familiar voice, Emily jerked her head up and looked across the tent. Momentary

apprehension gave way to excitement as she saw her visitor. “Lexie!” She set her laptop aside and
scrambledoffthecot.She’dknownLexieWardherentirelife.Theywerecousinswhohadbeenclose
duringchildhoodthenlosttouchformanyyears.Butsimilarinterestsbroughtthembacktogetherduring
college.Thenafewyearslater,aftereachhadestablishedthemselvesintheirchosenprofession,Emily
joinedforceswiththetenaciousreporteronseveralimportantprojects.Theyworkedwelltogetherand
alwaysenjoyedeachother’scompany.

Lexielookedherupanddownthensmiled.“Africaagreeswithyou.Youlookamazing.”
“Rightbackatyou,Lex.”Emilylaughed.“NottheAfricapart,butyou’repracticallyglowing.What

have you been up to since I saw you last?” They embraced, then Emily realized the strangeness of the
visit.“WhatareyoudoinginTanzania?No,wait,howdidyouevenfindme?Wemovedcamptwodays
agoandIhaven’tnotifiedanyonebackhomeyet.”

“Ifthat’strue,thenshameonyou.It’sdangerousfornoonetoknowyourexactlocation.”
She smiled. Giving each other hell was half the fun of hanging with Lexie. They were both

opinionated and stubborn, yet they always found a rhythm that complemented both of them. “I might
deserve the lecture, but you didn’t answer my question. How did you find me?” And how had she
arrived?Emilyhadn’theardanengineofanykind.

“I’llexplainhowandwhyonceyouhearmyproposal.”
“Proposal?YoucameallthewaytoAfricatooffermeajob?”Noneofthismadeanysense.Itwas

almostasifLexiehadjustdroppedoutofthesky.Apprehensiontingleddownherspine.“Whydidn’tyou
justcallme?Ihaveasatellitephone.”

Lexietiltedherheadasshelookedaroundthetent.Itwastallenoughtostandin,butbynomeans

luxurious.PrimitiveconditionshadneverbotheredEmily.Herhairwaswashandgo,andsheneverwore
makeup. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten something that hadn’t been heated up over a
butanestoveorroastedoveranopenfire.

“Iknowhowabsorbedyoubecomeinyourwork,”Lexiewassaying,“buthaveyouheardofGeneral

Nox?OractuallyApexGeneralNox.Hewasjustpromoted.”

Whateverhistitle,itwasanoddquestion.“LarryandStanweretalkingabouthimacoupleofdays

ago. Speaking of the rest of my team, were they out there when you arrived? How the hell did you get
here,anyway?Hotairballoon?”

“Later.”AsecretivesmilewasLexie’sonlyresponseforamoment,thenshesaid,“Nooneelsewas

incamp.Theymightbeintheothertent.”

“WasaLandRoverparkedbytheothertent?”

“Are you avoiding my question?” Lexie folded her arms over her chest, starting to look annoyed.

“AGNox.Haveyouheardofhimornot?”

Lexie wasn’t being any more accommodating, but one of them had to start cooperating or this

conversationwasgoingnowhere.“Isn’thetheguyontheinternetwhothinkshe’sanalien?He’stryingto
getfemalevolunteersforsomemysteriousprogram.”

Something in Emily’s phrasing made Lexie snicker. “That was my reaction as well, but I’ve had a

changeofheart.”

“Really?Andwhyisthat?”
“It’susuallymoreeffectivetodemonstratethanexplain.”Lexieturnedtowardthedoorway,suchasit

wasinacanvastent.“Vox,canyoucomeinhere,please.”

A tall, dark-haired man ducked through the opening, then stood beside Lexie. The first thing Emily

noticedwashiseyes.Strangeredringsencircledhispupils,makinghisbrownirisesappearevendarker.
Onecornerofhismouthlifted,thenheswepthisarmbeforehimandloweredhisshouldersinacourtly
bow.“VoxLoriet,pleasedtomeetyou.”

HespokeEnglishwiththestrangestaccent.Emilyhadtraveledallovertheworld,yetshe’dnever

heardanythinglikeit.“EmilyJenson.”Shewasn’tsureifheexpectedhertocurtsyorreturnhisbow,so
shejustlookedatLexieandpersisted,“Ifhe’ssupposedtoclearthingsupforme,itdidn’twork.”

“Hewon’thurtyou,butwedon’thavetimeforlongexplanationsordenials.”LexiemotionedVox

towardEmily.

He advanced slowly, clearly trying not to frighten her. Emily hadn’t been afraid until he started

toward her with that strange gleam in his eyes. “What’s this about?” She held up both hands, hoping to
backhimoff.“Whyareyouhere?”

Hislongfingersclosedaroundherupperarmsandaribbonoflightformeddirectlybehindhim.The

ribbonexpanded,drawingbackthefabricofspaceuntilitformedanopening.Shockgavewaytoterror
astheyweresuddenlysuckedinside.Shescreamed,instinctivelyclingingtoVoxasrealityfadedtoblack.
Despiteherabsolutepanic,sheneverlostawareness.Shecouldfeelthefirmpressofhisarmswrapped
aroundher,anchoringheragainsthimastheyspedthroughthedarkness.

I’vegotyou,Emily.Don’tbeafraid.
But his voice was inside her head, not in her ears. Her mind frantically scrambled for rational

explanationsforwhatwashappening.Nothingcame.

Light erupted behind him, like a train reaching the end of a long, dark tunnel. His arms tightened,

pullingherfirmlyagainsthisbodyasthegroundreformedbeneaththeirfeet.Alionroaredinthedistance,
adding to the surreal situation. Sunlight and wide open grasslands spread out around them in every
direction.Itdidn’tseemlikethey’dgonefar,buthowhadtheygottenhere?

“Whereare…Howdid…Whothehellareyou!”Shewiggledfreeofhislightholdonlytostumble

andnearlyfall.

Hecaughtherupperarmsagainandguidedherbacktoherfeet.“Breathe.Letyourbodyprocessthe

changes.”

“Whatchanges?Whatdidyoudotome?”Sheraisedherhandstohischestastheworldcontinuedto

spin.

“Thevertigoisnatural.Itwillpassinamoment.”
Shecouldunderstandwhathesaid,buthisaccentwasdistracting.Andintriguing.Itsoundedalmost

EasternEuropean,yetithadamusicalqualitythatmadeitunique.

He was right. After a few deep breaths, the dizziness passed, leaving her legs shaky, but her mind

relativelyclear.“Wherearewe?”

“Notfarfromyourcamp.Wecanwalkbackifyou’dfeelmorecomfortable.”
Shetensedathisnonchalance.“Howdidwegethere?”

“Iopenedavortex.”Histonewassocasual,somatter-of-fact.Hecouldhavebeensaying“Ipicked

upmilkonthewayhome”or“Iputgasinthecar”.Whenshejuststaredathim,headded,“Mosthumans
callitteleporting.”

“Teleporting?” She looked into his red-ringed eyes and laughed. She couldn’t help it. The

disbelievingsoundjustburstfromherthroat.Peoplecouldn’tteleport.Andhe’dsaid“humans”asifthe
termdidn’tapplytohim.Butaliensweren’treal,sohehadtobehuman.Didn’the?

Thenhowhadtheyjustmovedfromoneplacetoanotherintheblinkofaneye?Regardlessofhow

unbelievable,shecouldn’tdenysomethingshe’djustexperiencedforherself.

“Youstillseemconfused,”Voxnoted.“Doyourequireanotherdemonstration?”
“No!Justgivemeasecondhere.”Butthelongershelookedintohisstrange,unearthlyeyes,theless

calm she felt. And it wasn’t just the rings. The savage angle of his cheekbones and the intensity of his
staremadeherfeelvulnerable.“AreyouGeneralNox?”

“Itoldyou.MynameisVoxLoriet.”Hetookastepcloser.
Sheimmediatelybackedup.“Butyouknowthegeneral.You’repartofthis…invasion.”
“An indirect part, I suppose. And Apex General Nox is trying hard not to make this seem like an

invasion.Hewantstocreateanalliancewithhumans.”

“Withhumanfemalesanyway.”
Hesmiled,thefirstteeth-revealingsmileshe’dseenonhisface.Dimplesappearedtoeachsideof

hismouthandhisangularfeaturesseemedlessmenacing.Nowthathergazewasfreefromthehypnotic
power of his eyes, she quickly took another look at the rest of him. Jeans and a clingy pullover shirt
revealed the athletic lines of his body, yet his regal bearing seemed almost too sophisticated for such
commongarments.

“You’reanalien.”Shehadtosayitoutloudbeforehermindwouldevenbegintoacceptthetruth.
Hisheaddippedbeforehespoke.“MyspeciesisnotindigenoustoEarth,soIsupposeIam.”
“Andonwhatplanetisyourspeciesindigenous?”
He didn’t seem insulted by her questions. Instead, he watched her closely and provided more

informationthanshe’dgottenoutofLexie.“I’mBilarrian.MyhomeworldisBilarri.However,thebattle
born, the men interested in forming an alliance with human females, are from a nearby planet called
Rodymia.”

“Then they’re Rodymians?” And were they as esthetically pleasing as this example of alien

masculinity?

“TheyprefertobecalledRodytes,”hetoldher.
HisanswershadbeenmoredirectthanEmilyexpected,soshepushedherluck.“It’sprettyobvious

howLexiearrivednow,buthowdidshefindmycamp?”

“Shedidn’t.Thebattlebornusedtheirscannerstolocateyou.”
Sheswallowedhard,shockedbytheimplications.“Thebattlebornhavescannersthatcanidentifyan

individualpersonfromwayupthere?”Shepointedtowardthecloudlessskyashereyeswidened.

“It’s more complicated than that. I believe Lexie contacted someone who knew your last known

location,whichsignificantlydecreasedtheareaneedingtobescanned.Fewhaveanyreasontobeinan
areaofthewildernessthisfarremovedfromcivilization.”

Relaxingsomewhat,EmilybegantowonderaboutVox.“What’syourconnectiontothebattleborn?”
“I’massistingthemwhenandwhereIcan,”hesaidwithashrug.
Theclaimwascompletelyunbelievable.Hewasmuchtooimposingtobeunimportant.Thiswasnot

amananyoneignored.

Whenshedidn’treply,heasked,“Shallwereturntocamp?”Andthenheheldouthishand.
She looked into the distance. He’d said they could walk back if she didn’t want to go through the

vortexagain.ButshewantedtotalktoLexieassoonaspossible,neededtounderstandwhyhercousin

brought aliens into her life. Emily was reasonable enough to admit that Vox wasn’t human, or at least
wasn’tlikeanyhumanshe’devermet.

Takinganotherdeepbreath,sheplacedherhandonhisandsqueezedhereyesshut.
Hiswarmchucklemadeheropenthemagain.“Wasitreallythathorrible?”
Areluctantsmilecurvedherlipsandsheshookherhead.Sunlightpickedupgoldenhighlightsinhis

darkhairandlongishstrandsdrapedacrosshisforehead,makingherwanttobrushthembackintoplace.
Heguidedherhandtohischestthenwrappedhisarmsaroundherback.Thevortexopenedbehindhim,
butshekepthergazefixedonhishandsomeface.Accelerationhitwithenoughforcetomakehergasp.
Hisarmstightenedandshepressedherfaceagainsthischest.Shehadn’trealizedhewassotall.Herhead
almostfitbeneathhischin.

Thedizzinesswasn’tasbadthesecondtime,butEmilytookhertimemovingoutofhisembrace.It

hadbeenforeversinceanymantouchedherandVox’sarmsfeltsurprisinglynaturalwrappedaroundher
torso.

He guided her out of the vortex and Emily finally stepped back. His hands clung and he swayed

unsteadily,drawinghergazebacktohisface.He’dsqueezedhiseyesshut,asifinpain,andthecolorhad
drainedfromhisface.“Areyouokay?”

Hiseyessnappedopenedandhisshoulderssquared.“Iamperfectlyallright.”
“Areyousure?”LexiesoundedevenmoresuspiciousthanEmily.“Youpaledrightafterwearrived

too.Maybethiswasn’tsuchagoodidea.”

He released his hold on Emily as if she were electrified. “I would never intentionally endanger

others,norwouldIriskmyownlifeunnecessarily.IfIwerenotcapableofutilizingmyabilities,Iwould
havetoldyou.”

“We’llhavetotakeyourwordforit.Wedon’treallyhaveachoice.”Lexiestaredathimamoment

longer,thenreluctantlymovedon.“We’vegotworktodo.”

“‘We’beingyouandVox?”EmilydraggedhergazeawayfromVoxandfocusedonhercousin.
Lexieshotheraplayfulglare.“‘We’beingyouandme.”
Emily glanced at Vox, still concerned about his apparent weakness, then back at Lexie. “I already

haveajob.”

“Your focus, your passion is wildlife. You love showing aspects of life in the wild that civilized

peopledon’tunderstand.Correct?”

“Justcuttothechase,Lexie.What’sthisabout?”
“I’vebeenhiredtointroducethebattleborntothepeopleofEarth.AGNox’smessagedidn’twork

thewaythebattlebornhadhoped,sotheywantmetotryagain.Icantelltheirstory,butIneedsomeone
tohelpwithvisuals.We’vedonethisbeforeandwewerebothpleasedwiththeoutcome.”

“We’ve done this before?” Emily felt her brow arch and consciously relaxed her expression. “I’m

prettysureI’veneverphotographedaliens.”

“YouknowwhatImean.Stopbeingdifficult.”
VoxlightlytouchedLexie’supperarm.“Ifshehasn’twatchedGarin’smessages,sheisn’tawareof

theimportanceofthebattlebornstruggle.”

LexienoddedandVoximmediatelymovedhishand.Withsuchhesitationinhistouch,itwasunlikely

they were lovers or even romantically involved. Emily wasn’t sure why she cared, but the observation
pleasedher.

“Canwesitdownsomewhereandtalk,maybefindVoxsomethingtoeat?”Lexielookedaroundthe

tent,buttherewasonlyonerickety,foldingchair.“It’shotasHadesoutsideandnotmuchbetterinhere.
Why don’t you leave a note for your crew? Tell them you went for a walk or you’re going to explore
somethingmorecompletely.Makesuretheydon’tworryifyou’regoneforafewhours.”

“AndwhywouldIdothat?”

“Because Vox—as long as he’s up to it—is going to take us to Stargazer Ranch. I can’t show you

anythingelseuntilyouagreetotakethejob,andyouneedtounderstandthejobbeforeyoucanmakeyour
decision.”

Emily hesitated. This was all so strange. But she’d known Lexie her entire life. Trusting her was

automatic. Besides, people had been studying leopards for decades, more like centuries. Lexie was
offeringheranopportunitytophotographaliens.

Shewroteaquicknotethenplaceditintheothertent,ontopofStan’slaptopsohe’dbesuretofind

it.LexieandVoxhadsteppedoutofhertentwhileshedeliveredthenoteandappearedreadytodepart.

“Howlongwillwebegone?ShouldIgrabmygearor—”
“We’re just going to talk,” Lexie assured her. “If you’re interested, we’ll need to come back and

explainyourabsencetotheothersanyway.”

“Allright.”Shealwayskeptidentificationandemergencycontactinfoonher,aswellashersatellite

phone.“IguessI’mready.”ShelookedatVox.“Areyou?”

Hisannoyedexpressionsaiditall,stillheadded,“Ifwewereteleportingtoanothergalaxy,Imight

hesitate.Thesedistancesarenothingtome.”

Hecouldteleportfromonegalaxytoanother?Theconceptwassostaggering,shecouldn’tthinkofa

reply.

Voxmotionedthemcloserandclaspedeachoftheirwrists.“Pleasemovetowardeachother.”
They did, and Emily braced for the sudden nearly violent sucking that accompanied this form of

transportation.Takeofffeltthesameasithadthefirsttwotimes,buttheyseemedtohanginnothingness
forever,losttoeverythingbutthemadrushingofenergyallaroundthem.

Whentheyemergedfromthevortex,Emilygroanedandputherhandsonherknees,steadyingherself.

“Idon’tthinkI’llevergetusedtothat.”Shegaspedinabreaththenanotherbeforesheeventriedtofocus
onhersurroundings.

Voxseemedcompletelyunaffectedbytheordealthistime.Henoticedherassessingstareandsaid,“I

toldyoutherewasnothingtoworryabout.”

Emily accepted his assurance with a nod then looked around. They stood in the middle of a

horseshoe-shapedgroupingofbuildings.Inthecenteroftheoblongringwasalargestrippedloghouse
andtheotherendoftheringwasborderedbytallpineandaspentrees.

“Where are we?” Seeing the mischievous gleam in Lexie’s eyes, Emily headed off the smartass

remark.“Iknowit’sStargazerRanch.What’stheexactlocationofthisfacility?”

“We’reabouttwentymileswestofBoulder,Colorado,”Lexieadmitted.
“Andthepurposeoftheranch?”
BeforeLexiecouldanswer,amiddle-agedwomansteppedoutontothelargeraileddeckjuttingout

fromthelargestbuilding.“Ihavecooldrinksandfingerfoodwaitingwhenyou’reready,”sheannounced,
thenwentbackinsidethehouse.

Lexiechuckled.“That’sRachel.Sheownstheplaceandisn’thappyunlessshe’splayinghostess.”
“Isshe…”
Lexieshookherhead.“Sorrytodisappoint.She’shuman.”
“Actually,she’sone-fourthTandori,whichmakesherahuman/Rodytehybrid,”Voxcorrected.
Thatwasasgoodaplaceasanytostart.“Thenaliensandhumanscanproducechildrentogether?”
VoxandLexieexchangedastrangelook,butLexieansweredthequestion.“‘Alien’isanextremely

broad and semi-derogatory term. You might want to be more specific from now on. Both Rodytes and
Bilarriansareabletoproduceoffspringwithsomehumans.”

“Isn’t that unusual?” They crossed the rolling lawn that separated the buildings as they spoke.

“SimilarspeciesonEarthcanmate,buttheoffspringissometimessterile.IsthataproblemwithRodytes
andBilarrians?”

“Itcanbe,butmedicaladvancementshavemadeinfertilitycorrectibleinmostcases.”
AgainVoxspokeofafantasticalconceptasifitwasnothingspecial.Emilymightnothavebelieved

himiftheyhadn’tjustteleportedfromonecontinenttoanother.

TheyclimbedontothedeckwhereRachelhadmadeherappearance.Tree-coveredhillssurrounded

theentireareaandhigher,ruggedpeakswerevisiblebeyondthehills.Theairwascrisp,cool,andlightly
scented with pine. The scene was very different from the unrelenting heat and vastness of the African
savannah.

Emily shivered as she stepped into the air-conditioned living room. It had been nearly three years

sinceshe’dvisitedaclimate-controlledenvironment.Fromtheoutsideithadbeenobviousthatthehouse
wasbig,butshehadn’texpectedtheunderstatedluxurysuddenlysurroundingher.Withexposedtimbers
andboldangles,theinteriorwasopenandwelcoming.

“Overhere.”Rachelmotionedthemtowardamassive,rusticdiningroomtablethathadbeenlaidout

withasmallbuffet.

Lexie appeared as surprised by the bounty as Emily. “I commed you twenty minutes ago. How did

youaccomplishallthissofast?”

Rachel waved away the praise, but a telling blush rose on her rounded cheeks. “It was nothing.

Anyone can make sandwiches and cut up fruit.” Rachel walked up to Emily and stuck out her hand.
“RachelTandori.AndyoumustbeEmily.Sorry,noonetoldmeyourlastname.”

“It’s Jenson.” She shook Rachel’s hand, liking the friendly woman immediately. “Your house is

beautiful.”

“Thank you. Stargazer Ranch is my life.” She made another motion toward the food. “Please, help

yourselves.Ifyouneedanythingelse,I’llbeinmyoffice.”

Emilyfeltabitgreedyasshepiledfoodonhersmallplate.Thespreadmightbemeantasasnack,

butallshe’dhadtoeatalldaywashalfastalebagel.Theycongregatedatoneendofthetable,Lexieon
oneside,EmilyandVoxontheother.Vox’splatewasnearlyasheapedasEmily’s.

Lexiewatchedthetwoeatforamoment,ahalf-smileonherface.“Don’ttheyhavefoodinAfrica,or

onBilarriforthatmatter?”

“Energymustbereplenished,”Voxreminded.“Istillneedtoreturnyoueachtoyourdestinations.”
“Well,weneedtodetermineEmily’sdestinationbeforeyoucantakeherthere.”
Emilyquicklyclearedhermouthandasked,“Howdowedothat?”
“Let’sstartwithaverybriefhistoryoftheconflict,”Lexietookasipofcoffee,thendoverightinto

herexplanation.“RodymiaandBilarrihavebeenatwarforaverylongtime.”

Emily froze with a crustless sandwich wedge halfway to her mouth. “But Vox is Bilarrian.” She

looked at the mysterious male, even more curious about him than before. “Why would you help the
enemy?”

“Empoweringthebattleborntoresisttheirelitemasterscouldeventuallyendthewar.Byrestoring

magictothebloodlinesofRodymia,weunravelthedrivingprinciplebehindthewar.”Heshruggedthen
tossedagrapeintohismouth.“Ifindwarasawholeineffectiveandbarbaric.”

ShiftinghergazebacktoLexie,Emilyasked,“Iguessyoubetterstartatthebeginning.Whoarethe

battleborn?”

Lexiesighed.“I’llexplainit,butyouneedtounderstandthattheseeventshappenedtothebattleborn.

I’mnotdefendinganyofit.”

“Gotit.”
Lexietookadeepbreath,clearlypreparingforalong,unpleasantexplanation.Voxreachedoverand

nudgedherarm.“I’mabitmoreobjective.Letmetry.”

EmilyfocusedonVox,herinterestintheBilarriangrowingwitheachpassingmoment.Hewascalm

anddiplomatic,yetshecouldsenseauthoritysmolderingjustunderhissurfacereserve.

“Thewarcomesdowntomagic,”Voxbegan.“BilarriansareabletocontrolmagicandRodytesare

not.Formanygenerations,Rodytestriedtosubstitutetechnologyforgenuinemagic.Theyweresomewhat
successful,buttheinstinctualneedformagicwasn’tsatisfiedbythesubstitution.”

Hestartedtomoveon,butEmilywassofascinatedwiththeconceptthatshestoppedhim.“Everyone

onBilarricanutilizemagic?”

“To one extent or another. Abilities and level of control vary greatly, but we are fortunate in that

regard.”

LexiemadeascoffingsortofcoughthatdrewanannoyedlookfromVox.“MostRodyteswouldargue

that fortune had nothing to do with it. You have systematically rid your planet of anyone without magic
powers.”

Hetensedbutdidn’targue.“HistoryisnokindertoRodytesthantoBilarrians.Iamnotresponsible

fortheactionsofmyancestors.”

“Okay, I get the picture,” Emily hurried the conversation onward, hoping to defuse the argument.

“Rodytesweredrivenoffbecauseoftheirinabilitytoworkmagicandeventuallytheresentmentbuiltto
all-outwar.Isthatwhatbattlebornmeans?Aretheysimplybornduringwartime?”

Lexieshookherhead.“ThisisthepartRodyteswouldliketoforget.Atonepointduringthewarit

becamepopulartocaptureBilarrianfemales.Itwasthewarriors’hopethatthecaptives,orwarbrides,
wouldpassontheirmagictotheirbattlebornchildren.”

“It was a despicable practice,” Vox stressed, “but it worked—with one major complication. Battle

bornsonswerebornwithmagicenergy.Theywerejustunabletoaccessit.”

“That’s why the battle born have come to Earth.” Lexie paused, waiting for Emily to look at her

again.“They’vedevelopedaprocessthatallowsthemtounlocktheirmagic,butitrequiresthattheybond
withahumanfemale.”

EmilyhadfollowedalongwithnoproblemuntilLexieaddedthelaststatement.“Wait.Whydoesit

takeahumanfemaletounlocktheirmagic?Humanscan’tworkmagic,oratleastthevastmajoritycan’t.”

LexiestartedtoanswerthenlookedatVox.“Idon’tunderstanditthatwellmyself.Canyouexplain?”
“I’m not a geneticist, but I’ll do my best.” He smiled at Lexie, then his gaze shifted to Emily and

lingered.“HumanDNAisunusuallyresilient.Ittoleratesrecodingthatwouldberejectedbymostother
species.SoasIunderstandit,theneededchangesarecreatedinthefemale,thenshetransfersthemtothe
maleduringthebondingprocess.”

Lexienodded“That’sconsistentwithwhatKadentoldme.”
“Andbecausethebondingprocessisnaturallyoccurring,themale’sbodyacceptsthechangeswhen

theywouldberejectedifintroduceddirectly.”

JustthethoughtofgeneticengineeringleftEmilycold.Historyhadproventhatscrewingwithnature’s

designs was asking for trouble. Spontaneous mutations and devastating complications were far more
commonthansatisfactoryresults.

“Noneofthiswillbeforcedonanyone,”Lexiestressed.“They’reaskingforvolunteers.”
VoxtookupthetaleandEmilystartedtofeellikeavolleyball,beingtossedbackandforthbetween

thetwo.“Unlockingbattlebornmagicisextremelyimportant,butit’sonesmallelementintherebellion.
The practices and attitudes they’re attempting to change are not unlike your country’s War for
Independence. They’ve been demeaned and subjugated by the society that created them. Now they’re
demandingequalityandfreedom.”

“Those are principles Americans can get behind,” Emily agreed. “But tell me more about the

‘bondingwithhumanfemales’part.Whatexactlydoesthatentail?Itsoundsalittlecreepy.”

Lexieshookherhead,herexpressionturningpensive.“Ithinkitwillmakemoresenseafteryou’ve

seenLunarNineandmetsomeofthebattleborn.TherearealsoacoupleofwomenlivingtherethatI’d
like you to meet. They’ve already gone through the transformation program, so their perspective is

unique.”

“The higher-ups don’t want anyone brought to Lunar Nine unless they’ve signed the six-month

contract,”Voxreminded.

“Iknow,butEmilywon’tbeabletoresistoncesheseeswhat’sgoingonupthere.It’salsounlikely

she’llagreeuntilsheseesforherself.”

Vox tilted his head as speculation lit his gaze. “That could be more of a problem than the leaders

anticipate.Mosthumansrequireconcreteevidencebeforethey’llagreetoanything.”

Lexie’s brows shot up at the sweeping generalization. “How many humans do you even know

personally?”

Hechuckled.“It’savalidpoint.Myexposuretohumansislimited.”
ItwasEmily’sturntochuckle.“Youmakehumanssoundlikeadisease.”
“Hecan’thelpbeingasnob.”Lexieconcludedinastagewhisper,“Hewasbornthatway.”

ChapterTwo

Voxtensed,afraidLexiewasabouttotellEmilyhistitle.Hedidn’twanttheprettyphotographerto

know he was Crown Prince of the Fire Islands. At least not yet. To Emily, he was just another alien
workingtohelpthebattlebornrebellion.Andhewantedtokeepitthatwayaslongaspossible.

HesatacrosstheoverlylargetablefromLexie,whichputhimbesideEmily.Repeatedlyopeningthe

vortex had depleted his energy more than he cared to admit, but food and a short period of inactivity
should sufficiently replenish his strength so he could continue playing chauffer to the humans. The role
wassofarbeneathhisstationthatheshouldfinditinsulting.Insteadhefeltliberatedandintrigued.

Hisfatherhadgivenhimthreemonthstocontinuehisadventureandheintendedtoenjoyeveryhour

ofthereprieve.

“I’llreturnyoutoLunarNine,”hetoldLexie,“butyoumustdealwithRaylon.Hedoesn’tliketobe

ignored.”

Lexieshrugged,clearlyunconcernedwiththeimpendingconflict.“I’mnotbattleborn,andRaylonis

governor,notGod.”

“Someoneneedstotellhim,”Voxmuttered.“I’venevermetamorearrogantwarrior.”
“Youropinionmightbeatinybitskewed,sweetheart,”Lexiesaidwithaplayfulwink.“Iknowabout

youandChandar.”

Herflirtatiousnesswasharmless,butitstillcaughthimoffguard.Shewasnewlybondedtoabattle

bornwarrior.IfKadensawherbehavingsoboldly,he’dbemostdispleased.“Therewasneveranything
romanticbetweenChandarandme.Iwasherteacher,oneofmany,andnothingmore.”

“Ifyousayso.Raylonisobviouslynotbuyingtheline.”
Emilyscootedherchairbackfromthetableandstood,lookingdecidedlyuncomfortable.Shemoved

behindherchairandpusheditin,inadvertentlyputtingherbreastsateyelevel.Hetriednottostare,but
her clingy tan T-shirt and well-worn cargo pants weren’t making politeness easy. She was lithe and
athletic, sleekly muscled, yet undeniably feminine. Her torso narrowed to a trim waist, then flared to
womanlyhipsandanicelyroundedass.Barelygrazinghershoulders,wavyblondehairframedherface,
rather than distracting from her delicate features. Her mouth looked soft and rosy without benefit of
cosmetics,andherbrightblue-greeneyesweresurroundedbythelongestlasheshe’deverseen.Shewas
doingnothingtomakeherselfattractiveandstillhefoundherstunning.

“DoyouguyscallitLunarNinefortheobviousreason?”Emilyincludedhiminthequestion,buther

gazewasonLexie.

“Yeah,it’son,oractuallyinside,themoon.”Lexiescootedbackaswell,butdidn’tseemtobeina

hurry to stand. Her gaze shifted to him and then narrowed. “Will it help if you take Emily, then send a
shuttlebackforme?That’lluseuphalftheenergy,won’tit?”

“Idon’tneed‘help’,”heinsisted.ThelastthinghewantedwasforEmilytoseehimasweak.“Iam

perfectlycapableofteleportingbothofyoutoLunarNine.”

Lexiedidn’tlookconvinced,butsuddenlyslynesseruptedinhereyes.“It’llgivehertimetoexplore

the outpost on her own, maybe talk to Indigo and Raina without me coaching them.” She shrugged,
illustratingindifferencehewascertainshedidn’tfeel.“Emilyhasalwayslikeddoingthingsonherown.”

Thefemalesexchangedconspirators’smiles,thenEmilysaid,“Ithinkitwouldbefunjusttowander

around.I’veneverbeengoodatstayingondesignatedpaths.”

Protectivenesssurgedthroughhisannoyance,catchinghimbysurprise.UnlikeRodytes,whowereat

the mercy of their genetics, Bilarrians chose their mates, agreeing to form a life-long bond only after
carefulconsiderationandextensivecompatibilitytesting.ButEmilywashuman.Shecouldn’tpossiblybe
hismate.Sowhydidthisoverlyindependentfemalemakehimfeelsoprotective,so…primitive?

“YoucannotwanderaroundLunarNineunescorted,”heobjected.“It’sforbidden.”
Lexie laughed and pushed to her feet. “I thought Bilarrians were more civilized than Rodytes. You

soundjustlikethebattleborn.”

“I’llremainwithEmilyuntilyoucanmakeotherarrangements.”Voxtriedtosoundputout,buthewas

lookingforwardtosometimealonewithEmily.Hewantedtoexplorehisstrangereactiontoher.

“That’s not necessary. I’ll just wait for the shuttle too,” Emily decided. “I’m not sure I want to

teleportallthewaytothemoonanyway.”

Indignation welled inside Vox, eclipsing his other emotions. She doubted his ability to deliver her

safelytoherdestination.Thatwasabsurd.“Iamfullycapableofteleportingyouanywhereyouwantto
go.Thatisnottheissue.”

“Threedaysago,weweren’tsureyouweregoingtolive,”Lexiepointedout.
Heglaredather.Thatpointlessfactwouldn’tbuildEmily’sconfidenceinhim.“Iamfullyrecovered,

andyouknowit.”

“That’snotwhatDr.Mintellsaid.”
The reminder earned Lexie another glare. “Dr. Mintell is not Bilarrian. I was restored by the most

powerfulhealeralivetoday.”

Lexiesnickeredbehindherhand,thentoldEmily,“Hemeanshisdaddy.”
Emilysmiled,butherlovelyeyesremainedwarmratherthanmocking.“Yourfather’sahealer?”
“Amongotherthings.”Hestood,pushedinhischair,thenfacedEmily.“Willyoupleasetrustmeto

deliveryousafelytoLunarNine?Torefusewouldbedeeplyinsulting.”

“That’snotfair.”Shelookedtohercousinforreinforcement,butLexiehadherownagenda.
“He’sright.”Lexierespondedtotheconcernwithanegligentwave.“AccordingtoKaden,Voxzaps

backandforthbetweenplanetsallthetime.Themoonisn’tevenchallenging.”

“Thenwhyareyoustayinghere?”Emilyreinforcedthechallengewithraisedeyebrows.Clearlyshe

didn’tappreciateLexie’ssuddenchangeofheart.

“Iwantyoutomakeyourowndecisionsaboutthebattleborn.IfIgowithyou,Iwon’tbeableto

keepmyopinionstomyself.Iknowmyownlimitations.”

Emily’seyesappearedmorebluethangreenasshelookedatherlong-timefriend.“Neitherofusare

goodaboutkeepingouropinionstoourselves.”

“I’llletIndigoknowyou’recomingandaskhertoarrangeameetingwithRaina.”Thenshelookedat

Vox.“Areyousureyoudon’tmindgivingheratouroftheoutpost?”

He didn’t miss the mischief still gleaming in her eyes. Apparently, Lexie had picked up on his

unexpectedreactiontoEmily.Thatwasn’tsurprising.Hehadn’treallytriedtohidewhathewasfeeling.
Itwasabitsurprising,however,thatshewasassistinghim.“Itwillbemypleasure,andI’llarrangefora
shuttletopickyouup.”

“Worksforme.”
“Who’sKaden?”Emilyslippedonehandintothepocketofhercargopants,hergazefixedonLexie.

“You’vementionedhimtwicenow.”

AguiltyblushspreadacrossLexie’scheeksandsheshothimawarninglookbeforeanswering.“I’ll

tellyouallaboutKadenafteryou’veseentheoutpost.”

“Fine.” Clearly Emily wasn’t pleased with the outcome, but she didn’t argue. “Let’s get this over

with.”Sheturnedtowardhimandheldoutherhand.

Vox took her hand and drew her closer, wanting her pressed against his body. “We’re traveling

farther,sothedisorientationmightbeabitworse.”Whenhereyesfilledwithdread,hewishedhe’dkept
thecommenttohimself.

“Thanksforthewarning.”
Sheplacedherhandsonhisshoulders,butheshookhishead.“Holdontome.Holdontightly.”Her

warm hands slid down his chest, then across his sides. She splayed her fingers against his back and
pressed her breasts to his front, surrounding him with heat and her uniquely feminine scent. His pulse
racedandhefeltslightlydizzy.

“Ready?”Whydidhisvoicesoundsoodd?
Afterglancingathercousin,Emilynodded.
He opened a vortex and carefully targeted their destination. They lurched forward, driven by his

focusandamassivesurgeofenergy.Heheldhersnuglyagainsthisbody,enjoyingthewarmsoftnessof
her curves pressed against him. Desire swelled like a sun-warmed river, washing away thoughts and
muddlinghismind.

Hefelthiscontrolslipandquicklyrightedtheircourse,butanotherwaveoflustcrashedoverhim.
What was happening? He hadn’t lost control of a vortex since the early days of his training. He

summonedenergyfromthedepthsofhissoul,channelingitintothevortex.

Itwastoolittle,toolate.
Theyspun,thentumbledthroughthedarkness.Emilyscreamed,clingingtohimwithbotharms.He

fought for control, battling his emotions as well as the consuming darkness. He could no longer sense
wheretheywere,muchlesscontrolwheretheywereheaded.Thevortexspedthemalongtowardsome
unknowndestination.

Vox sensed the ground rushing toward them and panic threatened what remained of his composure.

Withthelastofhisenergy,heturned,protectingEmilyfromtheinevitablecollision.

Heslammedintotheunforgivingground.Painradiatedthroughhisentirebody.Hissharpcryended

inamoan,andthenheblackedout.

*****

RexDravonstaredattheLinusianhybridhe’djustallowedintohiscabin.Expectinghisfirstofficer,

Rexhadcasuallyopenedthedoorandthisstrangerjustbargedinside.RexhadseveralLinusianhybrids
onhiscrew,butthismalewasn’toneofthem.“Whoareyouandhow’dyougetaboardmyship?”The
Marauder’s crew was well-trained and cautious. No one was allowed aboard without a legitimate
reason.Sohowhadthisstrangermadeitpastthesentinels?

“Relax.Ijustwanttotalk.”Asthestrangerspoke,hisfeaturesfluctuatedthensuddenlymorphed.
Instinctivelyreachingforhispulsepistol,Rexfoundthebracketempty.Damnit.He’djustfinished

cleaning up after an intensive workout, so his weapons were still in the wall locker across the room.
“Who are you?” It was a demand this time. The bastard had clearly timed his arrival so he’d find Rex
unarmed.

“Apotentialally.”TheLinusian’sfeaturesdisappearedentirelyandKageRazelstoodbeforehim.
Knowingwhotheintruderwasdidn’tmakeRexfeelanylessinvaded.KageRazelwasthenotorious

leaderoftheequallynotoriousOutcastgang.Theymightcallthemselvesmercenaries,butRexknewan
old-fashionedoutlawgangwhenhesawone.Mainlybecausehiscrewwasn’tmuchbetter.

Inperson,Kagewaseverybitasintimidatingashisreputation.ToppingRex’sownimpressiveheight

byhalfahead,Kagelookedmorebarbarianthanmerc.Heneverbotheredwithashirt,regardlessofthe
weather. Instead he wore a calf-length red cape, attached to thick synth-leather straps that crossed his
chestandsecuredasmallarsenalofweaponswithineasyreach.Hislaser-etchedtorsorippledwithropy
musclesandhisjet-blackhairhadbeenbuzzedexceptforonenarrowsectionrunningfromforeheadtothe
nape of his neck. Endlessly black, his eyes had no hint of phitons, which only added to their hypnotic
power.

Therewasnolongeraneedtoaskhowhe’dmanagedtolooklikeaLinusianorhowhe’dgottenall

thoseweaponspasttheship’sscanners.Kagewasatechnomage,oneofthebest.Implantsandremotebots

created the illusion of magic, all of it at Kage’s command. Instead Rex focused on the only thing still
withinhiscontrol.“Whatdoyouwant?”

“You and I have similar interests, and similar annoyances.” Kage moved farther into the room,

vicious confidence shaping each movement. “I believe we could assist each other from time to time
withoutcreatingunnecessaryobligations.”

“I’masmuggler.”Rexwatchedthetechnomagemoveabouthiscabin,feelinglesscomfortablewith

each passing moment. Kage wasn’t wrong. They both were peripheral players, attempting to find
opportunitiescreatedbytherebellionwithoutbeingsweptintoamoredirectrole.Butthatwaswherethe
similarityended.Rexcommandedonebatteredshipandfocusedalmostentirelyoncontraband.Kage,on
theotherhand,ledasmallarmyoftechnomages,maleswithenoughintegratedtechtomakethemseem
likesorcerers.Whywouldtheleaderofsuchagroupbotherwithhim?“Ifyouneedsomethingsmuggled
somewhere,mytermsarethesameforeveryone.”

Kageshothimanimpatientglower.“You’reahellofalotmorethanasmugglerandwebothknowit.

Wasn’tacontractonGarinNoxwhatbroughtyouhereinthefirstplace?”

“That was a mistake.” His missteps were few and far between and he didn’t like having his face

rubbedinthem.

“ItwasamistaketotakeQuinton’smoneyoritwasamistaketoletNoxlive?”Hecrossedhisarms

over his mostly bare chest, making his biceps bulge even more. The man really was a brute, even by
Rex’sstandards.

“Are you here to talk about Nox?” Rex was feeling less intimidated and more curious as the other

manmeanderedaroundhiscabin.

“Inaway.”Heuncrossedhisarmsandseemedtorelaxalittle.“I’mconsideringanalliancewiththe

battleborn,buttheyhaveapowerfulharbingerworkingforthem.”

Harbingers. Rex cringed. The psychics were seriously inconvenient, unless they were working for

you,whichneverhappenedforpeoplelikeKageandRex.“I’mprettysureyouknowI’mnotpsychic,so
I’mstillnotsurewhyyou’rehere.”

“I’mjusttryingtoeventhingsupabit.Thebattlebornleadershavetheirprettyprofittowarnthem

aboutme.Iwantsomeoneclosetothem,someonetheytrust,towarnmeaboutthem.”

Rexlaughed.“Thatain’tme,brother.Thebattlebornleadersdon’ttrustmeatall.”
“Notyet,buttheywill.Becauseyou’regoingtoprovetothemthatyou’retrustworthyanduseful.”
He’d more or less struck a deal with the battle born already. They weren’t official allies, but they

knew Rex was seriously interested in their transformation program and was willing to do just about
anythingtobeincludedonceitgotunderway.“So,Ibecomeyourspy.What’sinitforme?”

Kageliftedonebrawnyshoulderinalazyshrug.“Whatwouldyouneedtotakeitseriously?”
TheMarauderwasfallingapart.Helovedtheoldgirl,buttherewereonlysomanytimessystems

couldberepairedbeforetheyweresimplyobsolete.Ironically,Kagehadrecentlyputthesamecondition
onthereleaseofsomehumanhostagesthatfellunderhiscontrol.“Iwantthesamethingyouwanted.”

Kagelaughed.“I’mnotgivingyoutheRelentless.”
“I don’t want the Relentless. She’s much too flashy for my purposes. I want a new Marauder,

somethingsimilarinsize,withmuchnewertechnology.”

Kage stared back at him for a long tense moment, gaze narrowed and bright. “Keep your eyes and

earsopen,andI’llseewhatIcandotofindyouanewMarauder.”Kagedrewonesideoftheridiculous
capeoverhisshoulderandturnedtowardthedoor.

“Threefourthsofmycrewisbattleborn.Wewantaccesstothetransformationprocess.That’swhy

we’reworkingwiththebattleborn.WhatdoyougainbyallyingtheOutcastswiththerebellion?”

Kagemadeaseriesofgesturesinfrontofhisfacethendownalonghischest.Hisfeaturesblurred,

rollingandknottinginagrotesquemetamorphosisuntiltheLinusianhybridstoodbeforeRexagain.“My

concerns are my own.” Even his voice was different now. “You need only concern yourself with our
agreement.”Hereachedintohispocket,pulledoutasmalldevice,andtossedittoRex.

Rexbarelycaughtit,nothavingexpectedthetoss.“Whatisthis?”
“SqueezeituntilitclicksandwithinanhourI’llbehere.”
BeforeRexcouldsaymore,hisuninvitedvisitordisappeared.

*****

Pain stabbed up Emily’s arm, making her cry out. Vox’s yell echoed hers and then he went limp

beneathher.Stunnedanddizzy,shejustlaythereforamoment,tryingtocatchherbreathandfigureout
what had gone wrong. The teleportation had started like all the others, staggering speed and utter
blackness.Thensomethinghappened.Theytwistedandpitchedsharplyoneway,thentheother.Allshe’d
been able to do was cling to Vox and pray that he somehow controlled the landing. At the last second,
he’drotated,absorbingtheimpactwithhisbody.She’dinstinctivelyputoutherhand,whichcausedher
wristtojam,butthemomentarypainwasnothingcomparedtowhatwouldhavehappenedifVoxcame
downontopofher.

Recoveringenoughtomove,EmilyshiftedtoVox’sside.Helaystillasdeathintheleaf-strewndirt.

She watched his chest rise and fall before dragging her gaze away from his still form. They were
surroundedbytrees,mostlypine,butalsoaspenandbirch.WeretheystillinColorado?Itseemedlikely.
They’donlybeeninthevortexforasecondortwo.

Identifyingtheirlocationcouldwait.SheneededtofigureouthowbadlyVoxwashurt.Usingfirst-

aidtrainingandyearsofdealingwithinjuriesinthewilderness,sheassessedthesituation.Helayonhis
back, arms and legs at natural angles. His breathing was regular, features relaxed. Still, he could have
non-displacedfracturesor,worstofall,aheadorspinalinjury.Shemovedclosertohisheadand,very
carefully,feltalonghisskullforanysignofimpactorlaceration.Hemoanedwhensheslippedherfingers
underhisheadbutdidn’topenhiseyes.Shefeltnosignificantswellingorbreakinhisscalp.Remarkably,
allofherfindingsweregood.Sowhywashestillunconscious?

She didn’t dare move him until she had a better understanding of his condition, or until it became

dangerousforhimtoliethereinthedirt.Neitherofthemworejacketsandalreadythetemperaturefelt
cool.ButthenanythingfeltcoolcomparedtoAfrica.Didshedareleavehimherewhileshescoutedout
theirsurroundings?

Decidingtowaitawhilelonger,sheslippedhersatphoneoutoftheholderonherbeltandchecked

forasignal.Asshefeared,thereweretoomanytreesforthesmalldevicetoconnectwithitssatellite.
Thestupidthingworkedreallywellontheopenplane,buteveninsidehertent,coveragewasiffy.

A moan drew her attention back to Vox. He shifted restlessly, then slowly opened his eyes. She

rushed back to his side and knelt. “Lie still for a minute. You took quite a hit. I think the ground just
knockedthewindoutofyou,butmoveslowly.Makesurenothing’sbroken.”

His gaze locked on hers and the rings in his eyes ignited, casting an eerie red glow across his

chiseledfeatures.“Areyouhurt?”

“I’mfine.”Shepattedhisshoulderwithhergoodhand,feelingstrangelyself-conscious.“Jammedmy

wristabit,butit’sdefinitelynotbroken.”

“I’msosorry.”Heturnedhishead,clearlyupsetbyhislossofcontrol.“Ithasbeenmanyyearssince

anythinglikethishappenedtome.”

“You’vebeensick,soundedlikereallysick.Noonebouncesbackfromdeath’sdoorwithoutsome

complications.”

“Ishouldn’thaveriskedyoursafety.Itwaspridefulandfoolish.”
Shehadtoagreeaboutthepridefulpart.Ithadbeenobvious,eventoher,thathewasstruggling.She

didn’t know him well enough to decide if it had been foolish or not. “Well, we both survived, so stop
beatingyourselfupoverit.Allright?”

Heclenchedhisfiststhenbenthiselbows,rolledeachshoulder,thenslowlysatup.Afterbendinghis

kneesandflexinghisankles,hesaid,“You’reright.Nothingseemstobebroken.”

Hisaccentgrewmorepronouncedasheconcentratedonhisphysicalcondition.Shewasstruckagain

bythesensual,rollingcadence.Itmadehimseemmoreexotic,moreintriguing.“Ifyou’resureyou’reall
right,I’mgoingtohiketothetopofthathillandseeifmyphonecanfinditssatellite.”Hestartedtostand,
butshestoppedhim.“No.Relax,workthroughthe…daze.I’llbebackinafewminutes.”

Thesuggestion made himbristle, but hewas so shaky hescooted back andrested against a nearby

tree.“Arescueisnotnecessary.Mystrengthwillreturn.”

“Evenso,I’dliketoatleastfigureoutwhereweare.”Beforehecouldargue,shehustledupthehill,

searchingforabreakinthetrees.Evenifheclaimedhisstrengthhadreturned,shewasn’tsureshecould
believehim.Clearly,theman’spridewouldn’tlethimaccepthisownlimitations.

Thetreesthinnedassheclimbed,butstillherphonedidn’tregisterasignal.TherewasaGPSinthe

phone that would allow Lexie, or anyone with Emily’s number, to track the device’s location.
Unfortunately,Voxhadn’tsaidanythingaboutcheckinginoncetheygottoLunarNine.Itcouldtakehours
beforeLexiewonderedwhythepromisedshuttleneverarrived.Besides,Emilywasn’tsureGPStracking
workedifthephonewasn’ttalkingtothesatellite.

“Shit,” she muttered as she looked around. The hills surrounding her were all about the same size.

Therewerehigherpeaksinthedistance,butshecouldn’tleaveVoxsittinginthedirtwhileshehikedfor
severalhours.“Whatamess.”

Whenshereturnedtotheirarrivalsite,Voxwasseatedonafallenlog.Hiscolorwasbetterandhe

immediatelystoodassheemergedfromthetrees.“Wereyouabletocontactanyone?”

Sheshookherhead.“Thisphoneonlylikeswide-openspaces.Thetechnologyhasimprovedalotin

thepastcoupleofyears,butthiswasallIcouldaffordatthetime.”

“Unfortunately,mysystemsareexperiencingsimilarlimitations.”
Pleasedbyhiscandor,shesmiled.“Yourtechnologyisoutdated?”
“No,justindesperateneedofenergy.”
He really did look better, no more shaking and his eyes were clear and bright. It would have been

easy for him to claim there was nothing wrong, that he was ready to continue their trip to the moon.
Instead,he’dadmittedhisweakness.Maybetherewashopeforhimafterall.“Sohowdowegoabout
gettingyoumoreenergy?”

For a long time he just stared at her, searching her face with his strange, red-ringed gaze. “Food

wouldhelp,butlikelytimewillbeenoughtorestoremyabilities.”

He’deatenmorethanshehadatStargazerRanch,andshe’dbeenembarrassedbyherappetite.“Do

youknowwhatwentwrong?Whydid…”youlosecontrol?Thewordsdidn’tmakeitpastherlips.They
soundedmuchtooaccusatory.

“WhydidIlosecontrol?”Onecornerofhismouthcurledinaself-reprovingsmile.“Clearly,Iwas

weakerthanIrealized,butIwasalsohorriblydistracted.”Hetookaleisurelysteptowardher,andthen
another.

Awarenesspulsedbetweenthem,makingherrestlessandslightlyuncomfortable.Shedidn’tneedto

ask what distracted him. His predatory expression said it all. She’d never considered herself beautiful,
but she’d lived on her own long enough to know desire when she saw it. Vox wanted her, or at least
wanted to have sex with her. Well, he was headed for disappointment. Her history with men was so
disastrous that she’d given up on romance entirely. She sure as hell wasn’t coming out of sexual
retirementforanalien.Evenifhewasmoreinterestingthananyhumanshe’devermet.

“Food’snothardtofindinthemountains,ifyouknowwheretolook.”Shesteppedback,recapturing

the distance between them. “Do you feel good enough to explore, or shall I bring something back for
you?”

“I’mperfectlycapableofwalking,evenclimbingifnecessary.”
Sheacceptedhisclaimwithanodandheadedoffintothetrees.
Hequicklyfellinstepbesideherastheymadetheirwayupthenearesthill.“Youmentionedyour

otherteammembers.Theirnamessoundedmale,yetneithersharesyourcanvasdwelling.”

“True.”Sheknewexactlywhathewasasking,butdecidednottomakeittooeasyonhim.
“Aretheyacouple?”
She laughed. That wasn’t the direction she’d expected him to go, but it was a roundabout way of

askingthesamething.“They’refatherandson,actually.Larry’sawidowerandStaniscurrentlybetween
relationships.”Sheglancedathim,amusedbyhisattemptatsubtlety.“I’mnotromanticallyinvolvedwith
either.”

“Areyouromanticallyinvolvedwithanyone?”
Bettertonipthisinthebud.“No,andI’mnotinterestedinbecominginvolved.Mylifeisorderlyand

uncomplicated.That’sthewayIlikeit.”

Ratherthandisagreewithher,hejustsmiled.“SomeoneshouldhavetoldLexie.”
He was right. If half of what Lexie said was true, everyone’s lives were about to get a lot more

complicated.Shestoppednearsomepinetreesandcarefullygatheredanarmfulofthefallencones.Her
wriststillhurtwhenshemovedit,soshetriedtokeepitinonepositionwhilestillbeingabletouseher
arm.“Thesewon’tkeepyoufullforlong,butthey’reanexcellentsourceofprotein.”

Helookedatthepineconesdubiously.“Youwantmetoeatthesewoodenballs?”
“Notexactly.”Shefoundanearbyrockandkneltbesideit.“Theconescontainseedsornuts,butthey

canbetrickytoharvest.”Shelookedovertheconesandfoundonethathadjuststartedtoopen.“Piñons
havethebiggestseeds,butthey’llcoveryouinsap,sowe’llonlygothereifwedon’tfindanythingelse.”
Usingher uninjured hand,she hit thecone against the rockand pulled thespears apart, encouraging the
seeds to fall out. “You can peel the layers off if none of the seeds fall out, but that’s usually because
they’re not ripe. Still, almost ripe seeds are better than starving.” A few more whacks against the rock
producedasmallscatteringofnutssoshetossedtheemptyconeasideandchoseanotherone.

Voxpickeduponeoftheseedsandstartedtotossitintohismouth.
“Holdon,”Shetouchedhishipwiththepinecone,unabletoreachhisarminherkneelingposition.

“Theyneedtobeshelledbeforeyoueatthem.”

Hekneltbesideherandwenttowork,freeingtheseedsfromtheirshellsassheknockedthemloose

from the cones. “I thought your expertise was wildlife. Why do you know so much about this
environment?”

“Researchprojectshavetakenmeallovertheworld.Sixyearsago,IfollowedawolfpackinRocky

MountainNationalPark.Theterrainwasverymuchlikethis.That’swhyIthinkwe’restillinColorado.”

Theyquicklyworkedthroughthepileshe’dgatheredandseveralmorebesidesandstillonlyended

upwithahandfulofseeds.

“Thisistakingforever,”shedecided.“Youcanmunchonthosewhilewefindsomethingbetter.”
Hestoodthenhelpedherup,evermindfulofherinjuredwrist.“Weneedtogetsomeiceonthat.It’s

startingtoswell.”

Shelookedaroundthemountainsettingandsighed.“Inaweekortwothatwon’tbeaproblem.Snow

andicewillcovereverything.”

“We’renotgoingtobeherethatlong.”
Hesoundedannoyed,soshesmiled.“Ididn’tthinkwewere,butIamconcernedaboutstayingwarm

oncethesungoesdown.Thetemperaturedropsfastinthemountains.”

“It doesn’t look like finding dry wood will be a problem.” He motioned around them to the stick-

strewngroundandabundanttrees.“We’llbuildafire,ifmystrengthhasn’treturnedbythen.”

“Ordinarily,I’dshareyouroptimism,butthere’snowayIcanstartafirewithonehandtiedbehind

myback.”Sheliftedherinjuredarmtomakesureheunderstoodhermeaning.

Hisgazenarrowedashisannoyanceturnedtoanger.“IamCrownPr—Bilarrian.I’vebeenableto

controlfiresinceIwasnine.”

He’dstartedtosaysomethingotherthantheplanetofhisbirth.Washefamousorsomething?Crown?

Crownwhat?Hecarriedhimselfwithacertainregalitythatonlycamewithprivilege.Thenhisclaimcut
throughherdistractionandshelostinterestintheblunder.“Youcancontrolfire?”

Anothersighescapedhimbeforeheadmitted,“I’mfromaregionofBilarricalledtheFireIslands.

Manyamongmypeoplecancontrolfire.”

“Teleportation and pyro kinetics, good lord, what else can you do?” She looked at him with new

interestastheywendedtheirwaythroughthetrees.Theywereinthenarrowvalleybetweentwohillsand
Emilywashopingtofindastream.Watergenerallybroughtwithitalargervarietyofplantlife.

“I told you, most everyone on Bilarri has some sort of ability. Rodytes are not the only ones who

covetourpower.”

SheonlyknewasliverofRodytehistory,butalreadysheunderstooditwasmorethanenvythathad

drivenRodytestowar.“Theydon’tjustwantwhatyouhave.Theyfeelrobbedofsomethingthatshould
havebeentheirsallalong.”

He smiled and clasped his hands behind his back. “All the concepts surrounding the war are

debatable. Perspective is shaped by one’s experiences, and events can change according to different
perspectives.”

“Inotherwords,thetruthissubjective?I’mnotsureIbelievethat.”
“I’ve watched two people view a visual record of the same event and then explain the event in

completelydifferentways.Eachhonestlybelievedthattheiraccountoftheeventwasaccurate,yeteach
accountcontradictedtheother.Howcanbothbetrue?”

“Iunderstandwhatyoumean,butanobjectivethirdpartyshouldbeabletoanalyzetheeventwithout

bias.”

Hesmiledandunclaspedhishands.Theywerestrollingratherthanhikingnow,eachmoreinterested

intheconversationthantheirsearch.“Objectivityishardertoachievethananyoneiswillingtoadmit.”

Shepausedandlookedaround.Animalsfrequentlycreatedpathsthatledtowater,butthegroundwas

dampandfallenleaveswerescatteredacrossthedirt.

“Areyoulookingforsomethingspecific?Imightbeabletohelp.”
“Water.”Shelookedathimandtensed.Hewashandsomeandintelligent,interestingandobviously

interestedinher.He’dbackedoffwhenshetoldhimshedidn’twantalover,buttheattractionwasstill
there, smoldering in his eyes and drawing her toward him. “We need to stay hydrated and it would
increaseourchancesoffindingsomethingtoeat.”

Heshiftedhisgazebeyondherandhisexpressionturnedalmostvacant.Hischestexpandedthenhe

slowlyreleasedhisbreath.“There’sastreamnotfarinthatdirection.”Hepointedtohisright.

Shestaredathim,waitingforhisgazetorefocus.“Caretosharehowyouknowthat?”
Asmilerolledacrosshislips,revealingahintofteeth.“Bilarriansecret.I’mnotallowedtotell.”
Afterallthethingshe’ddonealready,shewasn’tsurewhythissurprisedher.
“IalsoletRachelknowweareunharmed,butlost.She’sgoingtoseeifanyonefromTandoriTribe

canhelplocateus.”

“Thankyou.Itmighthavetakenawhileforthemtorealizewedidn’tmakeittoLunarNine.”
He swept his arm in the direction he’d indicated and she preceded him. “You can control fire and

sensewater.Canyoudotrickswithearthandair?”

Rather than chuckle or disagree with her conclusion, he confirmed the direction of her thoughts.

“Actually,Iusedcurrentsofairtolocatethewater.ThetwoelementsImoveinarefireandair.”

Shockedbyhisnonchalance,herfeetstoppedmovingandshefacedhim.“You‘move’infireandair.

Whatexactlydoesthatmean?”

“I’m from the Fire Islands, so my strongest element is fire. But my mother is from the San Adrin

region,whichgivesmeaccesstoairaswell.”

“ArealloftheabilitiesonBilarrifueledbytheelements?”
Henodded.“Magicingeneraliselemental,butsomecultureshavelearnedtoblendelementsorto

accessthemallsimultaneously.OnBilarrieachofthefourregionshonorsoneofthefourelementsand
ourabilitieshaveevolvedwithinthoseparameters.”

Shesearchedhisgaze.Hesoundedsincere,buthisclaimsweresofantasticthatshekeptwondering

ifhewasmockingher.Sheunderstoodhiswords,yetitwasimpossibletoactuallycomprehendhowany
ofitwaspossible.“Twohundredyearsagoyouwouldhavebeenworshipedasagod.”

He cringed. “Bilarri has strict laws prohibiting such interference in the development of other

cultures.Still,Iadmitit’shappenedatimeortwo.”Hemotionedheronward.

TheyhikedforafewminutesinsilenceasEmilywonderedabouthercompanion.Whatwasitliketo

havethatsortofpoweratone’scommand?Thetemptationtomisuseitmustbeconstant,andyetVoxwas
onEarthhelpingabunchofrebelsintheirfightforindependence.Itwasaglimpseintohischaracterthat
washardtoignore.

“Domyabilitiesmakeyouuncomfortable?Youseemverywithdrawnallofasudden.”
She glanced at him and smiled. “I’m not uncomfortable, just distracted. It’s a lot to take in.” They

emergedintoashallowvalleywithastreamflowingthroughit.Sheshookherhead.“Unbelievable.What
elsecanyousenseaboutoursurroundings?Whichdirectionisthenearestbuilding?Canyoutellhowfar
wearefromthenearesttown?”

Heshookhishead.“Sorry.Ifthewaterhadn’tbeensoclose,Iwouldn’thavesensediteither.Ireally

amdepleted.”

Morehonesty.Shenodded,pleasedbyhisanswereventhoughitdidn’thelptheircurrentsituation.

“WhataboutRachel?Couldyousensehowfarwearefromher?”

“Notdefinitively.Iestimatewithinonehundredhumanmiles.”
She nodded again. His guestimation confirmed what she’d already surmised. They were still in

Colorado.“Well,let’shydrateandthenfindyousomethingtoeat.”

After they’d each enjoyed the crystal-clear mountain water, Emily searched along the stream’s

slopingbanks.Shedidn’tfindanythingparticularlyappetizingnearthewater,sosheshiftedherfocusto
thesurroundingarea.Itdidn’ttakelongforherdeterminationtoberewarded.Aclusterofwildraspberry
bushesweregrowingnotfarfromthestream.ShepickedafatredberryandofferedittoVox.

He made a face at the tart-sweet flavor then responded with a smile. “Not bad. Are they easier to

harvestthanthepinenuts?”

Shereachedoverandpluckedanotherberryfromthebushthenhelditup.“Youhavetowatchoutfor

thethorns,butI’dsaymucheasier.”

Using the hem of Vox’s T-shirt as a makeshift sling, they quickly picked a bunch of berries and

washedthemoffinthestream.Thentheysatonthesunnybankandenjoyedtheirone-coursemeal.

“SotellmemoreaboutBilarri,”shepromptedafteracompanionablepause.“Whatlittleyou’vesaid

soundsfascinating.”

“Doyouwanttoknowabouttheplanetorthepeople?”
Shethoughtforamoment,thensaid,“Thepeople.”
“Becausetheentirefocusofourcultureismasteringmagic,manyseekoutBilarriansastrainersor

mentors. There are other occupations as well, but life on Bilarri is very different than on most other
planets. Magic allows us to accomplish much with little effort, which frees up a lot of time for more

enjoyablepursuits.”

“DoyoustillusemoneyorhasBilarrievolvedbeyondtheneedtoaccumulatewealth?”
Hechuckled.“YouareaStarTrekfan,Itakeit?Ihaveyettoencounteracultureonanyworldthat

hasevolvedintothemoralidealportrayedinthoseprograms.Whatvariouspeoplefindvaluablechanges,
butgreedisstillwidespread,andit’scommontowantwhatothershave.”

“That’s discouraging.” They sat side by side, but she bent one leg so she could look at him more

easily.

“Sorry.PerhapsIshouldhaveliedtomakethestorymoreinteresting.”
“No.It’srefreshingnottohavetoreadbetweenthelines.”
Hercommentseemedtoconfusehim.“Iscandorsohardtofindinyouracquaintances?”
Shestruggledforasuccinctanswer.Howcouldsheexplainwithoutsharingelementsofherlifethat

she tried not to remember, much less talk about? “Lexie says I’m a chaos magnet. I’m drawn toward
people who make my life miserable. That’s probably why I started taking on projects that require
seclusion.Iinteractbetterwithanimalsthanpeople.”

“WhataboutLarryandStan?”
Hewasguidingherontodangerousground.Ifsheopenedthisdoor,itwasalmostimpossiblenotto

explainsomeofthethingssheavoidedliketheplague.YetitfeltnaturaltotalktoVox,asifshe’dknown
himforyearsnothours.Theonlyotherpersonshe’devermetwhoputherthisateasewasLexie.“Ican
relaxwiththembecauseIknowneitherwilleverbeinterestedinmepersonally.”

“Personally or romantically? A personal interest in someone doesn’t always lead to a sexual

relationship.”

“You’re right. I suck at romantic relationships, so I surround myself with people who would never

thinkofmethatway.”

Hiseyebrowsstilldrewtogether.“Whyisaromanticrelationshipwiththesemalesimpossible?”
“Larry lost the love of his live two years ago and he’ll mourn for her until he joins her in the

hereafter.It’ssoobviousthathe’sstillinlovewithherthatitmakeshimsafetobearound.”

“AndStan?DidyounotsayhewasLarry’sson,orisStanthefather?”
“No,LarryisStan’sfather,andStanisonlyattractedtoothermen.”
“Isee.AretherenoheterosexualmeninAfrica?Youmustinteractwiththeoccupantsfromtimeto

time.”

Shenodded,beginningtofidgetasthetopicbecamemorepersonal.“Thenearestvillageisaseven-

hour drive, and they’re pretty suspicious of outsiders. We’ve earned their trust well enough for them to
tolerateus,butthat’sasfarasitwillevergo.”

Afteranotherlongpause,Voxasked,“Howlonghasitbeensinceyouhadamaninyourlife?”
“Sixyears.”Whywassheindulginghiscuriosity?Herpersonallifewasnoneofhisbusiness.
Theredringsinhiseyesflickered,thenhisgazeturnedwarmyetsad.“Iamsorryhehurtyou.Noone

deservesthatsortofpain.”Hisexpressionsaidsomuchmorethanthatsimplestatement,butheleftthe
rest unspoken. He didn’t know the specifics of her past, but he’d obviously guessed the reason for her
self-imposedisolation.

She’dtoldhimshewasn’tinterestedinarelationship.Apparentlyhewouldn’tpushherunlessshe

changed her mind. She ignored the pang of disappointment, refusing to soften her refusal. “What about
you?Istheresomeonespecialinyourlife?”Sheregrettedthequestionassoonasitpassedherlips.Ifshe
honestlywasn’tinterestedinhim,sheshouldn’thaveasked,wouldn’thavecared.

He didn’t seem insulted. Instead his gaze locked with hers and awareness tingled along her spine.

“Myculturehasstrictrulesaboutlifemates.”

He hesitated over the word “culture” as if he wanted to say something else. The odd inflection

remindedherofhispreviousstumble.He’dsaidcrownthenquicklyalteredittoBilarrian.“Yourculture

oryourfamily?”Itwasprobablyrudetoprywhenshewassohesitanttotalkaboutherpersonallife,but
shecouldn’tsuppresshercuriousnature.“Crownwhat?Whatdidyoumeantosayawhileago?Itwasn’t
Bilarrian.”

One corner of his mouth quirked, but he successfully fought off the smile. “Crown Parish is the

village in which I live. I realized the location wouldn’t mean anything to you, so I switched it to
somethingmorefamiliar.”

Shestaredathimforalongtime,unsureifshebelievedhim,yethavingnorealreasontodoubthis

explanation.Insteadofchallenginghistruthfulness,shedigressed.“Yousaidyourculturehasstrictrules
aboutlifemates.Iseverypersonyoudateapotentialmate?”

“Likeanyothermale,IspendtimewithsomefemalessimplybecauseIenjoytheircompany.Butwe

weretalkingaboutseriousrelationships.Ipresumedthatiswhatyoumeantwhenyouaskedme.”

“It was.” The admission sent another wave of awareness through her. She felt restless and had the

insaneurgetorunherfingersthroughhishair,toleaninandpressherlipsagainsthis.Thiswassonot
likeher.She’dgivenuponromancealongtimeago.

“There’s no one special in my life. I would never indicate my interest in one female while I was

involvedwithanother.”Hereachedoverandranhisindexfingeralongherarm.“Iamveryattractedto
you. If you’re reconsidering your position on romantic relationships, I would be happy to explore our
options.”

Forhalfasecondshepicturedherselfinhisarms,supportedbyhisstrength,surroundedbywarmth

andaffection.Thenshedraggedhergazeawayandshookherhead.“Thechaosthingisreal.Allofmy
relationships have been train wrecks. You seem like a really nice guy. You don’t deserve what would
happentoyouifweindulgedthisattraction.”

Hissensualchuckledrewhergazebacktohim.“Iamnotafraidofalittlechaos.Infact,Iwelcome

thechallenge.”

ChapterThree

VoxwatchedemotionsscrollacrossEmily’sface.Itwasdoubtfulshemeanttobesotransparent,but

hefoundherincrediblyeasytoread.Theattractionwasmutual,andyetshewasafraid.They’djustmet,
sohehadtoassumeshewasreactingtosomethingthathappenedearlierinherlife.Shehadn’tbeenafraid
when she realized he was an “alien” or when he’d successfully teleported with her. This was more
intimate,morepersonal.Someone,perhapsmorethanoneperson,hadhurtherbadly.Butthroughsome
twistofreasoning,sheblamedherself.

“The chaos is starting already,” she warned. “Don’t you think it’s strange that the first time you

teleportalonewithme,youlosecontrolofthevortex?Yousaidthathasn’thappenedforyears.”

Herconclusionwassoabsurd,itmadehimsmile.“IlostcontrolbecauseIdidn’twanttoadmitIwas

tooweaktocontinue.Iwantedtoimpressyou,notstrandyouinthewilderness.Besides,thatwasn’tthe
firsttimeIteleportedwithyou.Itwasthethird.Thefirsttwotimeswereflawless.”

“Maybe, but it’s still typical of the sorts of things that happen whenever I get involved with

someone.”

His smile broadened and the need to touch her grew into an overwhelming urge. Carefully, he

reachedoverandtookherhand.“Areweinvolved?”Ashefeared,shepulledherhandaway,butthatone
momentofskinonskinwasworthherannoyance.

“That’snotwhatImeantandyouknowit.”Shestoodandbrushedthegrassoffherpants.Eventhe

mannish garb couldn’t conceal her feminine curves or the grace in her movements. “Do you want more
raspberriesorshouldwelookforsomethingelse?”

“WhatIreallyneedismeat,”headmitted.“WillyoubeoffendedifIhunt?”
“Deathispartoflife.It’simpossibletoignorethatfactwhileoneisstudyingapexpredators.Ihave

noproblemwithhuntingtosurvive.It’strophyhunters,andneedlessslaughter,thatpissesmeoff.”Then
hereyesnarrowedandshetiltedherhead.“Areyougoingtobuildasnareordoyouhaveaknifetucked
insideyourboot?”

“I seldom bother with conventional weapons. Generally, I have more efficient ways of defending

myselforaccomplishingmygoals.”

“Aren’tthoseoptionsofflineatthemoment?”
“ThefoodIateatStargazerRanchhasfinallykickedin.Idon’twanttosquandertheenergy,butIcan

spareenoughtolocategameandprovidemeatforourmeal.”

“Anychanceyoucanlocatesomesortofshelterwhileyou’reatit?”Shelookedatthehazyskywith

obvioustrepidation.“Evenalean-toisalmostimpossibletoconstructwithoutafewrudimentarytools.”

“IwillseewhatIcanfind.Wouldyoumindgatheringsomemoreofthoseberries?OnceIgotusedto

theunfamiliarflavor,theywerereallyquiteenjoyable.”

“Happytooblige.”
Hisgaze lingered onher flushed face.What was it aboutthis human thatdrew him so powerfully?

Shewasn’tthemostbeautifulfemalehe’deverseen.Shewasjustinterestingandunique.Hewantedto
knowherbetter.“IwillmeetyoubackhereassoonasIfinddinner.”

“Imightscoutaroundabit,butI’llstaywithinshoutingdistance.”
He frowned, not wanting her to wander around alone. She clearly understood the dangers of this

environment.Still,shewashuman,andfemale.Hisculture,histraining,evenhisinstinctsdemandedthat
he protect her. And yet, he had no claim over this female, so he had no right to object to her actions.
Insteadofstartingafight,henoddedandjoggedoffintothetrees,determinedtofinishhistasksasquickly
aspossible.

Awealthofinformationwascarriedonaircurrentsifoneknewhowtointerpretthem.Conserving

his energy as much as possible, Vox drew air into his lungs. He could smell water on the pine-scented
breeze,buthesankdeeper,allowinghisgifttodecipherotherscents,subtlerinformation.Itdidn’ttake
longtolocateacreatureofadequatesizetofeedhimandEmily,yetnotsolargeastobewasteful.Usinga
concentratedpulseofenergy,heinstantaneouslyendedthecreature’slifebeforeitevenrealizeditwasin
danger.Preparingtheanimalwastrickywithoutablade,butVoxsearedalargeenoughholethroughthe
pelttostartthegruesomeprocess.Oncehe’dstrippedthecarcassandremovedtheentrails,heincinerated
allofthenonediblepartsandfoundastickwithwhichtoskewerthemeat.

Satisfiedwithhisefforts,hereturnedtothestreamandquicklywashedhishands.Emilywasnotin

sight, so he scanned the area. She wasn’t far away, which allowed him to relax enough to scan farther
afield.Again,hekepthisscansimple,utilizingaslittleenergyaspossible.Hesensedastructuretothe
westandstartedtoanalyzeit.No.Theycouldhikeoverandfindoutwhatitwaswithoutburningthrough
preciousenergy.

HewasabouttocallouttoEmilywhenshereturnedonherown.
“Ihopeyouhadbetterluckthanme.There’snothingaroundbutmorehillsandmoretrees.”
He held up his prize. “Dinner, as promised. And I might have found shelter for the night. There’s

somesortofbuildingamoderatedistanceinthatdirection.”

Sheacceptedhisstatementwithanodandtheystartedofftowardthemysterystructure.Theyhadn’t

gonefarbeforehercuriosityengagedagain.“Whenyou’reatfullstrength,howfarcanyousensethings
likethat?”

“Bilarrians call it scanning, and as with any search it’s more effective if you search for something

specific.”

Sheglancedathimthenaway.“Thatdidn’tanswermyquestion.Canyouscanforafewyardsora

fewmiles?”

“Atfullstrength,Icanaccuratelyscanforseveralhundredmiles.Scanningisoneofmysecondary

abilities. Those whose primary element is air are much stronger. My mother, for instance, has scanned
thingsonotherplanets.Butthenmanyofherabilitiesareunusual.”

Theycrestedahillandhespottedthestructureinthenarrowvalleybelow.“Damn,”hemuttered.The

building was nothing more than a dilapidated shack. One section of the roof had caved in and the rest
lookedlikeitwasn’tfarbehind.However,astonechimneyprotrudedfromtheintactportionoftheroof.
Maybetheycouldstillusethefireplace.“I’mnotsureit’shabitable.”

“There’s only one way to find out.” Rather than heading straight for the door, she went to the front

window,whichwasremarkablyunbroken.“Thesupportbeamsoverherestilllookallright.”Shetested
thestabilityofthewallbyshovingagainsttheagedlogs.“Notbad.Ifwestayawayfromthecavein,I
thinkwe’llbeallright.”

Voxwasn’tsoeasilyconvinced.Hehandedhertheirdinnerandcarefullyopenedthedoor.Theinside

ofthecabinwasgloomyandsmelledfaintlymusty,butEmilywasrightabouttheroof.Athicksupport
beamdissectedtheroomandallofthecrossbeamsthathadgivenoutwereonthefarsideofthecabin.
Thefloorwasdirt,butthestonefireplacewasadefinitetemptation.

“Isayweriskit.”Shemovedupbesidehimandgazedinside.
Thewarmthofherbodysankthroughhisclothesandheshivered.“Letmedoonemorecheck,then

we’llsettlein.Allright?”

“Fairenough.”
Hequicklyfoundabranchlongenoughtotesttheroofandtookitinside.Thecrossbeamsontheleft

side of the cabin were still solid, so he motioned her to join him. There was a bare bedframe, an
overturnedtablewithabrokenlegandfourthree-leggedstools.“Notmuchinthewayofamenities,butit
willhelpblockoutthewind.HaveaseatandI’llgogathersomefirewood.”

Shewalkedtothefireplaceandsettheskewerdowninthescorchedironbracketclearlymeantfor

thatpurpose.“OrIcancomewithyou.”

“Iwelcomethecompany,butyouneedtostopusingthatarm.Yourwristishorriblyswollen.”
“I admit it has felt better.” And still she held her injured arm close to her body and followed him

backoutintotheyard.Stubbornfemale.

Hepickedupfallenbranchesforatime,thenfoundadeadtreeandbrokeofftherestofwhatthey

wouldneedforthenight.Intheend,Emilyhadtohelpcarrysomeofthewood,butshedidherbestnotto
use her injured hand. His strength had returned enough for him to heal her, but it would delay their
departure.Still,heshouldgivehertheoption.Shereallydidlooklikeshewasinpain.

Backinsidethecabin,hearrangedasmallpileofkindlingthenigniteditwithseveralsparks.
“That’shandy.”Hersmilewastightandpurplesmudgesnowshadowedhereyes.
He fed sticks into the flames, then larger pieces of wood, and finally a couple of branches. The

hungryflameslappedathisoffering,quicklyexpandingintoacracklingfire.Satisfiedthatthefirewasnot
in danger of sputtering out, he turned to Emily. “Let me see your wrist.” Reluctantly, she held out her
injuredarm.“I’mnotastronghealer,butIcanatleastbackoffyourpain.”

Shetriedtoretractherarm,buthecurledhisfingersaroundherelbowandkeptherarmrestingon

topofhis.“You’retryingtobuildupyourenergy.Don’twasteitonme,”sheobjected.

“It’snotwasted.Youarenotgoingtospendtheentirenightinpain.”Beforeshecouldarguewithhis

decision,heranhisfreehandfromherwristtoelbow,saturatingtheareawithhealingpulses.

“Ittingles,”shewhispered.
“That’snormal.”Heincreasedtheintensityashehoveredoverherswollenwrist.Hewantedtodo

morethaneaseherpain,buthedidn’tdareusethatmuchenergy.“Doesthatfeelbetter?”

“Yes,much.”
He shot her an impatient look. She’d answered too quickly and with too much conviction, so he

continuedtohealheruntiltheswellingbegantosubside.

“Enough.” She snatched her arm away. “It really does feel better now. Let’s not undo all we’ve

accomplished.”

Helethergo,reluctantlyagreeingwithherpoint.Ifhehealedhercompletely,theycouldbestranded

here for days. A wicked impulse sparked inside him. She was comfortable here and he had her all to
himself.Maybebeingstrandedwasn’tsuchabadidea.

Forcing aside the temptation, he turned back to the fireplace. “Let’s get busy on dinner. I’m

famished.”Hebuiltupthefireuntilheatradiatedoutwardandasteadywallofflamedancedjustbelow
theirmeal.

“Don’t suppose you know what that was?” She stood beside him, arms crossed, hands rubbing her

upperarms.

“Iwasnotfamiliarwiththecreature.Ithadlongearsandverysoftfur.”
“Soundslikearabbit.”Shelookedatthecarcassmoreclosely.“Yeah,thebodyshapefits.”
Hearrangedtwoofthestoolsbeforethefireandmotionedhertowardone.“Fireroastingmightbe

healthy,butittakestime.We’regoingtohavetoentertaineachother.”

“Mypocketsarefullofraspberries.IfIsitdown,I’llsmashthem.”
“Grabanotherstool,”hesuggested.
Shedidandsmackeditagainstthehearthstonetodislodgeasmuchofthegrimeaspossible.“What

I’dgiveforabasket,evenanapkin.”

Helookedatthefilthysurfaceandnodded.“Wejustwon’teatthebottomlayer.”
Withnohelpforit,shecarefullyunloadedherpocketsontothestool.Thenshesatandextendedher

handstowardthefire.Thesunhadn’tfullyset,butalreadythetemperaturewasdropping.“Whatdoyou
suggestforentertainment?I’mnotgoodwithpeople,remember?”

Theinsultnarrowedhisgaze.Whydidshepersistwiththisnonsense?Shehadnotroubletalkingto

him and he was impressed with her competence and ingenuity. But then, this was the secluded
environmentshepreferred.Herbehaviorwouldlikelybedifferentiftheyweresurroundedbypeople.

ThinkingofthepeoplewhoshouldhavebeensurroundingthemmadeVoxthinkofRachelandLexie.

“I’mgoingtoupdateRachel.GivemeamomentandthenI’llentertainyou.”

“I’mnotgoinganywhere.”
He accepted her answer with a nod, then shifted his gaze to the fire. Distances were hard to judge

whenitcametotelepathiccommunication.Theeaseofconnectionandclarityofthoughthadmoretodo
with the participants’ abilities than their locations. Still, he scanned as he searched for Rachel,
determinedtogagetheareaseparatingthem.

Her mind accepted his signal with a surge of relief. Vox, thank the gods. Are you still doing all

right?

We’re good. He cringed at the exaggeration, but worrying Rachel and Lexie served no purpose.

We’velocatedfoodandacrudeshelterthatshouldsufficeforafewhoursoreventhenight.

HalfofTandoriTribewillbehereinthemorningtostartagridsearchforyou.Canyougiveus

anyideawhereweshouldstart?

Don’t give up on me so easily. I’m still confident a couple of hours of sleep and a protein-rich

mealwillsolveourproblemsforus.Isuspectthesearchpartywillnotbenecessary.

Ifyou’rebackbymorning,I’llfeedthemallagoodbreakfastandsendthemhome.Noharm,no

foul.I’mnotcallingthemoff.

Hertenacitymadehimsmile.HowisLexieholdingup?
Kadenisherenow,soshe’sdoingbetter.
The couple was newly bonded. Kaden undoubtedly had all sorts of ways of distracting his human

mate.I’mglad.Trynottoworry.Wereallyaredoingwell.

Oh,Ialmostforgot.TellEmilythatLexiewasabletocontactthetwomenEmilyworkswith.They

weretoldshehadafamilyemergencyandflewbacktotheStatesforatleastaweek.Wefiguredwe
didn’tneedpeopleontwocontinentsworriedsickabouther.

Goodcall.Didtheybelieveher?
Lexie seemed satisfied with their reaction. Rachel paused and Vox was about to end the

conversationwhensheadded,Getsomesleepandgetbackhere.We’veallhadenoughadventurefor
onenight.

I’lldomyverybest.Hepinchedofftheconnectionandturnedbacktohispensivecompanion.“Itold

herwe’vefoundfoodandshelter,andaskedthemnottoworry.”

“Lexie doesn’t worry about things. She goes on crusades. If we don’t return soon, she’ll have the

NationalGuardoutlookingforus.”

“RachelhasTandoriTribereadytosearchtheentirestatecomesunrise.Hopefully,we’llbebackin

timetoheadofftheoverreaction.ShealsosaidLexiegotaholdofLarryandStan.Apparently,shetold
themyouhadafamilyemergencyandwouldlikelybegoneforatleastaweek.”

“SoundslikeLexie.She’salwaysplanningahead.”Emilysoundedannoyedratherthanrelieved.
“Shedidn’twantthemtoworry.”
“I know. She also wanted to explain my absence while I’m at Lunar Nine. When Lexie wants

something,shecanberuthlessaboutgettingit.”

Wanting to keep the conversation light and positive, he asked, “How did you meet Lexie?” He

arrangedhimselfontheotherstool,havingtospreadhisthighswidetoaccommodatehislonglegs.

“We’recousins.Mymotherandherfatherwerebrotherandsister.”
“Thenyouhavebeencloseyourentirelives?”
Herheadmovedsubtlyfromsidetoside.“Offandon.”
“Doyouhavesiblings?”Hereachedoverandcarefullyrotatedtherabbit.Firewouldn’thurthimif

heshieldedhisflesh,but—despitealloftheexceptions—hewastryingtoconserveenergy.

Sheshookherhead.“ItwasjustmeandMom.That’soneofthereasonsIspentsomuchtimewith

Lexie,ConnieandLibby.Wehadfrequentsleepoversaskids,butsortoflosttouchinourteens.I’mtwo
years older than Lexie, so she seemed really immature in high school. Connie and Libby are even
younger.”Shesmiledasshestaredintothefire,clearlylostinmemories.

“Whatmadeyousmile?”
“Lexiehasalwaysbeenmoreoutgoingthanme,butIhadacarandwasoldenoughtodrive.Weboth

hadacrushonthisguynamedVictor.Asusual,Lexiegothisattentionfirst.”

“Butyouluredhimawaywithyourautomobile?”
Shenoddedthenlookedathim.“ThatwastheoneandonlytimeIwasabletostealaboyawayfrom

her.”

Againinsecuritythreadedthroughherwordsanditmadehischestacheforher.Shewaslovely,but

clearlydidn’tseethebeautyshepossessed.Hereachedoverandbrushedhercheekwiththebackofhis
fingers. “How often did you try? Males can be vain and self-absorbed. We love attention and tend to
respondtoanyonewillingtogiveittous.”

“I’mnotgoodatthatsortofthing.”Shedidn’tjerkawayfromhistouch,buthergazeshiftedbackto

thefire.

Hesighedandloweredhisarm.Ifshekeptupthisself-deprecatingattitudehewasgoingtohaveto

kisshersenseless,andhereallydidn’twanttointroduceintimacyuntiltheykneweachotherbetter.He
hadnodoubttheywouldbeintimate.Theirattractionwassimplytooreal.Buthewaswillingtobidehis
time,waituntilshefeltmorecomfortablewithhim,andmorecomfortablewiththethoughtofbeingclose
tosomeone.

Ratherthanriskhercompleteemotionalshutdown,hechosealesspersonaltopic.“Lexietoldmeyou

haveworkedtogetherbefore.Tellmeaboutthat.”

Sheimmediatelyperkedup.“IgraduatedfromhighschooltwoyearsbeforeLexie,butwecrossed

paths again in college. We were both interested in photography and the age difference didn’t seem as
glaring. We were in different photography classes, but had the same instructor, so it gave us a common
ground.”

“Didyougotopartiesandchaseafteryoungmen?Isn’tthatthetruepurposeforcollege?”
Sheshruggedyetstillkepthereyesaverted.“Wewenttoafewpartiestogether,butLexhadasteady

boyfriendbythenandpartiesingeneraldon’tappealtome.”

“Whatdoesappealtoyou?”
Shegesturedaroundherwithanunapologeticsmile.
“Broken-downcabinsorcookingoveranopenfire?”heteased.
She looked at him again. “I’ll take a starry sky over the bright lights of Broadway anytime.” Her

smilefaded,butshelookedmuchlessgloomy.

“I enjoy both. I think everyone needs some time away from civilization, but I don’t mind being

entertained.”

“Ofcoursenot.”Hersmilereturnedandfirelightgleamedinhereyes.“You’remale,andmaleslove

attention.”

Hechuckled.“Guiltyascharged.”Heturnedthespitagainandwasrewardedbyahissasthemeat

begantorenderitsfat.“We’regettingclose.”Whenshedidn’tsayanything,heprompted,“YouandLexie
wereincollege,bothinterestedinphotography.”

“Sorry, I got distracted. You asked about our joint endeavors. Lexie quickly realized that what she

reallyenjoyedwasjournalism,notphotography,sowesortofdriftedapartagain.”Shemotionedtoward
therabbit.“Icandothattoo.Aren’tyourfingersgettingtoasty?”

Theywere,buthewasn’tabouttoadmitittoher.“IwasbornintheFireIslands,sweetheart.Heat

can’thurtme.”Hehadn’tmeanttobesoforward,buttheendearmentjustslippedout.

Color spread across her cheeks and she quickly looked away. If she blushed when he called her

sweetheart, he couldn’t wait to see what happened when he kissed her. The temptation was becoming
harderandhardertoresist.

Vox kept looking at her like she was on the menu and Emily had never felt so jittery. She couldn’t

remember the last time a man expressed an interest in her, much less a man as impressive as Vox. He
could probably have any woman he wanted, yet he’d set his sights on her. It didn’t make sense. He’d
arrivedwithLexie,whowasmuchprettierthanshewas,yetforsomereasonhe’dzeroedinonher.

Andshe’ddoneitagain,babbledonaboutherpastratherthanansweringhisquestion.“ForLexie’s

seniorproject,shewantedtodoanexposéonthehomeless,butfiguredshe’dnevergetanyofthepeople
livingonthestreettotalktoherifsheapproachedthemwithacameracrew.SoIhookedherupwitha
remoteunitthatwaseasytoconceal.ThenLarryandIhidinthecontrolvanwhilesheandStanwentand
interviewedpeople.”

“Ididn’trealizeyou’dknownthetwomalesthatlong.”
“I apprenticed for Larry eleven years ago. He’s an amazing cinematographer as well as the best

cameraoperatorI’veeverseen.Stan’saclosesecond,butofcoursehelearnedeverythingfromhisdad.”

Voxnoddedasherotatedthespit.“Wastheexposéwellreceived?”
“Our instructor liked it so much he gave it to an acquaintance that worked for a local TV station.

They aired it during primetime. Lexie and I were thrilled, so we’ve teamed up five, no six times with
similarresults.MagicseemstohappenwhenLexieandIputourmindstogether.”

“Well,thebattleborncanuseallthehelptheycanget.I’mgladshethoughtofyou.”
Themeatwasreadyafewminuteslaterandtheconversationcontinuedinbetweenbitesoffood.“Do

youhavebrothersandsisters?”Sheblewonachunkofrabbithe’dtornoffforherasshewaitedforhis
answer.

“Onebrotherandthreesisters.I’mtheeldest.”
“Are your parents still together?” It was a natural next question, but she wasn’t sure if he’d find it

rude.

“Ofcourse.Bilarriansmateforlife.”Hemadetheclaimasifitwasawell-establishedfact.Likethe

skywasblueoricemeltsinthesun.

“Lifelong relationships are just about extinct on Earth.” The admission made her sad. Somewhere

deepinhersoulsheknewitwasn’tmeanttobethatway.“Myparentswerenevermarried.Infact,Ican’t
think of anyone I know who has been married ten years or longer.” Fewer and fewer couples were
botheringtogetmarriedatall.

“That’stragic.”Heheldoutanotherhunkofmeat,butshestillheldthefirst.
She quickly ate the first bite, then accepted the second. The rabbit was rather bland without

seasoning. Besides, he was the one who needed energy. “I’m not that hungry. You eat the rest,” she
insistedwhenhermouthwasclearagain.“AndIagreethatit’stragic,butIunderstandwhyithappens.
Truematesareincrediblyhardtofind,atleastonEarth.LordknowsItried,andfailed.”

Hegrinned.“Maybeyouwerejustlookingonthewrongplanet.”
Anotherblushmadeherwanttofanherface.Howdidhedothatsoeasily?Ratherthananalyzeher

body’sreactiontothishandsomestranger,shemovedon.“Tellmeaboutyourfamily.”

“There’snotmuchtotell.”Hequicklytookabite.
Awarningtingledupherspine.Hewasclearlyavoidingadetailedanswer.Andthiswasn’tthefirst

time she’d felt like he was hiding something. “Come on. I bored you with my entire past. It’s payback
time.”

He took a large bite and then another. He was either ashamed of his past or he was inventing one.

They could work through shame, but she would not tolerate lies. She sighed, disappointed by his
reticence.Hiscandorandhonestywerethethingsshelikedbestabouthim.Thestrikingexteriordidn’t
hurt.Still,anicefaceandsexybodymeantnothingifshecouldn’ttrusthim.

Shewasjustaboutreadytochangethesubjectwhenhesaid,“Myparentsarewealthy,verywealthy.”

Hesoundedfrustratedbythefactandshedidn’tunderstandwhy.“Ipreferthatpeoplejudgemewithout
knowingmybackground.Ittendstoskewtheirthinking,evenwhenthat’snottheirintention.”

Sheshrugged.Hiswillingnesstotellhermeantalotmorethantherevelation.“Wealthmeanslittleto

me. I understand that money makes life easier, but I’m not materialistic.” She licked the juice off her
fingersthenscoopedupahandfulofraspberries.

“Iknow.”Hewaiteduntilshelookedathimtoadd,“That’swhyItoldyou.”
Themomentarytensionevaporatedandsherelaxed,asmuchasrelaxingwaspossibleonarickety

woodenstool.“Sowhatwasitlikebeingbornintoprivilege?Youdon’tseemtoberuinedbyit.”

“Thank you, I think.” He laughed. “It’s hard to imagine all the ways wealth shapes your life if you

haveneverbeenexposedtoit.”

“WhydoyoupresumeI’veneverbeenexposedtowealth?”Challengesharpenedhertone.
“Lexie mentioned how hard you fight to fund your projects. That wouldn’t be an issue if you had

money.”

“Justwantedtomakesureyouweren’tjumpingtoconclusions.Wepeasantsdon’tlikethatanybetter

thanyourichfolksdo.”Shesoftenedthestatementwithasmile.“Sowhat’sitlikegrowinguprich?”

“My upbringing was…different. My parents were loving and attentive, but I still spent more time

withstaff.”Hecontinuedeatingasheexplained,“MysiblingsandIeachhadourownakinta,whatyou
wouldcallananny.Thenalloftheakintashadasupervisorcalledalidrator.Therewereprivatetutors
andvariousinstructors.Weweren’tevenallowedtoattendschooluntilweturnedtwelve.Thenwewere
senttoanexclusiveprivateacademy,andweeachhadasecurityteamfocusedentirelyonoursafety.”

“Goodness,thatmusthavemademisbehaviordifficult.”Shetriedtoimaginealifethatregimented,

buthewasright,itwashardtopicture.

“Youhavenoidea.Andastheeldest,myfather’sheir,Iwasheldtoanevenhigherstandardthanmy

siblings.Thepressurewasconstant,unrelenting.Itwasoppressive.”

“That’swhyyoucamehere,wherenooneknowsyou?”
Henoddedandtossedthebonesintothefire.“SomeofthebattlebornknowwhoIam,butitdoesn’t

seemtofazethem.I’mtreatedlikeeveryoneelse.I’mexpectedtofollowtherulesanddomyduty,butI’m
justoneamongmany.”

“Thatmustbeanicechangeofpace.”
“It’speaceful.”Afterlickinghisfingersclean,hepickedupahandfulofraspberriesandpoppedone

intohismouth.“Besides,Ihonestlybelieveinwhattheyaretryingtoaccomplish.I’mhappytosupport
theminwhateverwayIcan.”

“I’msurethey’rehappytohaveyou.”Shefinishedtheberriesandwipedherhandsonherpantlegs.

Roughingitwasmuchmorefunwithafewbasicsupplies.ThankGodthiswastemporary.“Howmanyof
thebattlebornhavealreadybeentransformed?”

Thunder rumbled in the distance, drawing her attention to the large patches of starlight peeking

throughtheramshackleroof.Theintactsideofthecabinshouldhelpinsulatethemfromthewind,butrain
hadawayofsneakingthrough.Sheshivered,thenbroughthergazebacktohercompanion.

Hehesitated.“Wearenotsupposedtorevealdetailsuntileachpersonsignsthecontract.”
“Andyetnooneisgoingtowanttosignacontractuntiltheyunderstandthedetails.LikeLexiesaid,

it’sacatchtwenty-two.”

Afteranotherpause,henodded.“AGNoxandRaylonmighthavetoreassessthestipulationorthey

couldhavefemalesvolunteeringforallthewrongreasons.”

“IknowwhoGeneralNoxis,butwho’sRaylon?”
“RaylonisgovernorofLunarNine.AGNoxsetthingsinmotion.Raylonistheonewhoiskeepingit

allmovingforward.”

“Whatdidyoudecide?Canyouanswermyquestionornot?”Allthebackgroundwasimportant,but

sheneededtounderstandexactlywhatwouldberequiredofhumanfemalesbeforesheagreedtohaveany
partinit.

“The first three volunteers were human/Rodyte hybrids, so their results might differ from the rest.

TwelvehumanvolunteerswerethenrecruitedfromamongfemaleswhohadinteractedwithRodytesinthe
past. The transformation appears to be both successful and stable in all twelve cases, but each couple
completed the process about ten days ago. That’s not a lot of time to establish a result. Because of my
illness,Ihaven’tevenhadtimetoassesstheirnewpotential.”

Sheabsorbedthefactsforamomentbeforeasking,“What’sthenextstep?Alargerstudy?”
“Yes.”Thebuildingstormintrudedagainandtheybothlookedtowardthesky.“It’sdefinitelymoving

closer.”Hestoodandextendedhishandstowardthefire.Theflamessizzledandleapthigherintotheair.
Was he drawing energy from the fire or did the flames recognize a kindred spirt? The fanciful thought
madehersmile.

Shestoodaswellandmovedclosertothehearth,reallystartingtofeelthechill.Thefireleaptand

popped. The light was mesmerizing, yet brisk air penetrated her clothes and rapidly cooled her skin.
Therewasnothingtheycoulddoabouttheweather.Itwasbestjusttothinkaboutsomethingelse.“How
largeisalargerstudy?”

“The research team would like between twenty and fifty volunteers, and the pool of females who

alreadyknowaboutRodytesisexhausted.”

“WhichiswhyAGNoxtooktotheinternet.”Itwasn’treallyaquestionandhedidn’treply.Thunder

crashedandlightningilluminatedthenight.Sheswallowedhardasdreadswelledinsideher.Theydidn’t
havecoats,notevenablanket.Thiswashowpeoplediedofexposure.

Refusing to give in to the pessimistic thoughts, she refocused on her unanswered questions. “How

longwilltheywaitbeforeopeningthefloodgates?Sometimescomplicationsdon’tdeveloprightaway.”

“Rodytemedicineismuchmoreadvancedthanhuman,”hepointedout.“Theyarebetterabletodeal

withcomplications.Ifminormutationsoccur,they’lltweaktheformulaandproceedwiththenexttrial.”

Rainpatteredagainsttheroof,thegentlesoundalmostmusical.“Andifthemutationsaren’tminor?”
Hetensed,hisgazedartingtowardtheroof,thenbacktoher.“Medicaladvancementsalwaysrequire

somemeasureofrisk.Eachvolunteerwillhavealltheinformationavailablesotheycanmakethebest
decisionpossible.”

“Meaning,thecoupleswillhavetoaccepttherisksiftheywanttoparticipate.”Asifrespondingto

herdispleasure,therainfellharder.

Hedippedhisheadandhisexpressionsmoothed,becomingcompletelyunreadable.“Nothingwillbe

forcedonanyone.Participationisstrictlyvoluntary.”

“Iunderstandthat.”Shesighedandshiftedhergazebacktothefire.“I’mjustnotsureIcansellit.”
“Youhaven’tseenLunarNineyet.Youdon’tunderstandwhatwe’reoffering.”
“True.”Sheglancedathimthenaway.Thecoldseepeddeeperwitheachpassingmoment.Itwasall

shecoulddotokeepfromshivering.“Lexieisclearlyimpressedandshedoesn’timpresseasily.”

Withoutexplanation,hemovedbehindherandwrappedhisarmsaroundherbody.Theunexpected

embracetrappedherarmsagainstherchestashepressedhisfrontagainstherfrozenback.Hisbodyheat
seemedtoincrease,graduallysinkingthroughherclothes.

“Areyoudoingthatintentionally,orareyoualwaysthiswarm.”Helplesstoresistthecomfort,she

wiggledmoresnuglyintohisembrace.

“A little of both. Just relax and let me warm you.” One of his arms banded her waist. The other

crossedherchest,hishandslidingupanddownherarm.

Shestoodtenseandstill,undeniablyaffectedbyhisnearness.Shedidn’twanttobeattractedtothis

compelling stranger, didn’t need complications messing with her well-ordered life. But the connection
had been instantaneous and powerful. Something deep inside her wanted this man, needed to learn
everythingtherewastoknowabouthimsoshecouldfigureoutwherehefitintoherlife.

Theskyopenedwithanominouscrashofthunder.Rainpeltedthecabin.Windrattlingtheremaining

windowandmadetheagedtimbersgroan.Moisturewasdriventhroughtheinterior,soakingeverythingin
its path. Cold droplets coated Emily’s exposed skin and quickly saturated her clothing. She gasped and
turnedaround,buryingherfaceagainsthischest.

EvenwiththefireatherbackandVoxwrappedaroundher,shewassoonshiveringuncontrollably.

“Howcantherainbethiscold?Itwaswarmallday.”Herwordsweremuffledagainsthisshirt,andhis
onlyresponsewastostrokeherhair.

Longmomentspassedassheclungtohim,absorbingwhatwarmthshecould.Therainsoondrenched

hisclothesanddampenedhisskin,decreasingtheheathewaspassingontoher.

“If I increase my body temperature any more, I’m risking brain damage,” he spoke against her

drippinghair.“Areyouwillingtotrysomethingelse?”

“I’mwillingtotryanything.”Aviolentchillshookherbody,reinforcingherdetermination.“Wecan’t

stayhere.Notlikethis.”

“Iwon’thurtyou,Emily.”Hewhisperedthepromiseintoherear,hisvoicelowandeven.“You’ll

neverhavetoworryaboutthatwithme.”

Her hair rubbed against his chest as she shook her head. “Never and forever. No one can keep

promises like that. Too much in our lives is beyond our control.” She raised her head and motioned
aroundthem.“Caseinpoint.”

He placed both hands on her shoulders, staring deep into her eyes. Rain dripped off his nose and

plasteredhishairtohishead.“You’reright.Forevercanbetricky,butIcanpromiseyouthis.Iwillnever
intentionallycauseyouharmandIwilldoeverythingwithinmypowertoprotectyou.”Heslidoneofhis
handsuptoherface.Hisfingerscurvedaroundherchin,keepingherfromturningaway.Thenhishead
loweredslowly,givingherplentyoftimetoobject.

Paralyzed by uncertainty and desire, Emily allowed his lips to cover hers. Was this just a kiss to

reassureher,orwashedoing…Shehadnoideawhathecouldbedoingthatwouldrequirekissing.His
lipsslidandpressed,caressinghermouth.Onearmfirmlybandedherwaistwhilehepushedhisother
handintoherhair,securingherheadatjusttherightangle.

Shewrappedherarmsaroundhim,savoringthecontrastofstrengthandtenderness.Thefirewarmed

herback,yethisbodyfeltevenbetter,moreinviting.Asighpartedherlipsandhetookadvantageofthe
opportunity,tracingherlipswithoutventuringtoofarintothesoftnessofhermouth.Hecoaxedwhenhe
couldhaveconquered,erodingherinhibitionsinsteadofoverwhelminghersenses.

Histonguecontinuedtoteaseuntilshegrewrestless,thenshetouchedhimwiththetipofhertongue,

inviting him inside. A throaty groan escaped as he accepted the invitation and sank between her parted
lips.Hegroanedagainandshiftedherheadintothecrookofhisarm.Thekissdeepened,becomingmore
aggressive. She responded, lost in passion like she’d never felt before. Their breaths mixed, and she
foundhistasteevocative,sweetfromtheraspberriesyetrichlikecoffeeorKahlua.

Sensations arced between them, crackling like static electricity. She wrapped her arms around his

neckandrubbedagainsthischest.Shecouldn’tgetcloseenough,neverwantedtostopkissinghim.

Suddenlyshefeltenergyleavingherbodyandflowingintohis.Itwasn’tpainful,exactly,juststrange

andfrightening.Thesuckingsensationincreasedandshecriedoutagainsthislips.Whatthehellwashe
doingtoher?Shestruggled,pushingagainsthischest,buthisarmsstayedfirmlywrappedaroundher.

Sheopenedhereyes,tryingtodrawhisattention,desperatetounderstandwhatwashappening.His

eyesremainedtightlyclosed.Heextendedonehandtowardthefire.Theflamesleapt,growingbiggerand
brighter,thentheyjumpedoutofthegrateandontohispalm.Herstartledcrywasmuffledbyhismouthas
hisfleshabsorbedthefire.

Hisotherarmtightenedandhisvoicewhisperedinhermind,Don’tstruggle.We’llonlygetoneshot

atthis.

Shewasn’tevensurewhathemeantuntiltheworldaroundherblurred.Quicklyclosinghereyes,she

clung to him, welcoming the renewed intensity of his kiss. She felt the strange sucking again and
surrenderedtothesensation.Shewasn’tsurewherehewastakingher,butanywherewasbetterthanthis
dilapidatedcabinonsuchastormynight.

Somethingsolidconnectedwithherfeetandtheairaroundherwarmed.Still,shewasinnohurryto

leavethecomfortofhisembrace.Thekissslowedandhegraduallypulledaway,alazysmilecurvinghis
lips.

“Welcomeback,”hewhispered,thenallthecolordrainedfromhisface.“Ohshit.”Hestaggeredto

the nearest piece of furniture—luckily it was a couch—and collapsed across its surface with a loud
groan.

Shelookedaroundwithsomeconfusion,tornbetweenworryandelation.Shestoodinthemiddleof

a cabin, but this one was not only intact, it was in perfect condition. With lodge-style furnishings and
charmingsplashesofcolormixedinwiththeearth-toneupholstery,itlookedlikeguestaccommodations
atsomehigh-endwildernessretreat.“Wherearewe?”

“Mycabin.StargazerRanch.”Hisvoicerasped,rawandexhausted.
She glanced toward the door. Should she let the others know they’d returned? A violent shiver

reminded her that she had more pressing concerns. They were both soaked and well on their way to
hypothermia.

Moving to the couch, she touched Vox’s arm. “Can you sit up? We need to get you out of those

clothes.”

“Youfirst.”
If he’d been more alert, she would have suspected an ulterior motive. However, he looked even

worsethanshefelt.“Thiswilljusttakeasecond.”Shepulledonhisarm,helpinghimsit.Thenheraised
both arms, barely, and she peeled his soaked shirt off over his head. By the time she found a throw to
coverhimwith,he’dcollapsedbackacrossthecouch.“Vox,howdoIhelpyou?Whatdoyouneed?”

“You,dryandwarm.”
She hadn’t even realized she was still shivering, but his focus pleased her. “All right. I’ll be right

back.”Shedrapedthethrowoverhistorsothendashedintotheadjoiningbedroom.Theclosetwasfilled
withstrangeleatherpantsandembroideredtunics,soshesearchedthenearbydresser.Theseconddrawer
downheldneatlyfoldedT-shirts,soshequicklyunlacedherbootsandtuggedoffthesoggyfootwear.Her
cargopantsandT-shirtfollowed,andfinallyherunderwear.ShesnatchedthefirstT-shirtoffthestackand
pulleditonoverherchillybody,thenhurriedbackintothelivingroom.

Heopenedhiseyesasshenearedthecouch.“Yourjeansneedtocomeofftoo,”sheinsisted.
“Areyoutryingtotakeadvantageofme?”Theplayfullinewasruinedbyaviolentshiver.
“Maybelater.RightnowI’dliketomakesureyoudon’tdie.”Sheshiftedthethrowtocoverhislap

thenreachedbeneathandunfastenedhisjeans.“LiftyourhipsandI’lldotherest.”

“Thisissohumiliating.”
Shetuggedoffhisbootswhilehewrestledwithhispride,thenreachedundertheblanketandgrabbed

thewaistbandofhisjeans.Reluctantlyliftinghiships,heallowedhertoridhimofhisjeans.Heworeno
underwear,soshewasgladshe’dmovedtheblanket.“Doesthatfeelanybetter?”Theoccasionalshiver
stillshookherbody,butgettingoutofherwetclotheshaddefinitelyhelped.

Henoddedashiseyesdriftedshut.

“CanImakeyousomethinghottodrink?Coffeeortea?”Shemotionedtowardthetinykitchentucked

inthefarcornerofthelivingroom.

“Helpmetobed.”Withobviouseffort,hepushedupagainstthecouchandsat.“Need.Sleep.”
“All right.” Touching a full-dressed Vox had been disconcerting enough. Now he was gloriously

naked.Andshedidmeangloriously.Everyinchofhisexposedbodywasshapedbydefinedmuscleand
shedidn’tdareimaginewhattheblankethid.Hewassimplymasculineperfection,strongandimposing.
Orhewouldbeassoonashisstrengthreturned.

She leaned down and drew his arm across her shoulders, helping him up off the sofa. He was

seriouslywobbly,butputverylittleweightonher.Thatwasencouraging,orhewastoodamnstubbornto
letherknowhewasdangerouslyweak.

Togethertheywalkedintothebedroom,andshequicklypulledbackthebedding.Hehadn’tbothered

holdingontothethrow,sohereallywasnakednow.Shekepthergazeonhisfaceassheledhimtothe
bed.“Hereyougo.RestwellandI’ll—”

Hisarmsclosedaroundherandhetumbledtothebed,takingherwithhim.“Ineed…you.”
She tensed and tugged against his restraining arms, ready to give him a piece of her mind. But his

slow,steadybreathing,andthesuddenweightofhisarmacrossherwaist,warnedthatthetiradewould
havebeenwasted.Hewasoutcold.

Witharesignedsigh,shepulledthecoversupoverthemandacceptedtheinevitable.Shedidn’tquite

understandhisreasonforwantinghernear,butshewashonestlytootiredtocare.Assoonasshestopped
struggling,herelaxedandtheheatoffhisbodygraduallyincreaseduntilshefeltsleepyandsecure.She
rolledtohersideandrestedherheadonhisshoulder.Itfeltoddlynaturaltobebyhisside,sosheclosed
hereyesandwenttosleep.

ChapterFour

Voxstirredseveralhourslater,immediatelyawareofthefemaleplasteredagainsthisside.Emily,his

mate,theotherhalfofhissoul.Shehadyettoaccepttherole,ofcourse,anditwouldbehispleasureto
convinceher.Thedayjustpasthadbeenonecalamityafteranother.Still,theonlythinghe’dchangewas
her injury. Knowing she’d been harmed because of him was a bitter pill to swallow. Even so, the
challenges they’d faced had been enlightening. Emily was intelligent and brave, much stronger than she
looked,andcompetent.He’dhadtheprivilegeofseeingherinhernaturalenvironmentandithelpedhim
understand her true nature. On the surface she seemed a bit skittish, socially awkward and unsure. But
beneaththatuncertaintywasacoreofsteel.ShewasworthytoonedaybearegionalqueenofBilarri.

The thought sent dread and frustration spiraling through his being. He might find her worthy. His

fatherwouldnot.Onlyafemalefromoneofthe“great”familieswouldbeacceptabletohisfather.There
were twenty-three such families scattered among the four regions of Bilarri, and Vox knew he was
expected to look to those families for his mate. And he’d tried. For more than two years he’d honestly
tried.He’ddoneextensiveresearchoneachfemalewhowasoldenoughforbondingandprioritizedthem
accordingtotheirinterestsandactivities.Thenhemetwitheachfemale,allforty-sevenofthem.Buthe’d
felt no connection, no metaphysical attraction to any of them. Bilarrians didn’t feel “the pull”, an
unavoidable demand to breed, like Rodytes did, but they could sense genetic compatibility in potential
partners. A genetically compatible female was a bit more intriguing, more attractive than any other
female.WhetheroneacteduponthatattractionwasachoiceforBilarriansratherthananoverwhelming
compulsion.

HelookeddownatEmilyandtendernessfloodedhissoul.He’dnevermetafemalewhoaffectedhim

thispowerfully.Shemightbehuman,butherDNAwasmorecompatiblewithhisthananyofthedaughters
ofBilarri’sgreatfamilies.Hisfatherwouldsimplyhavetolearntoacceptit.

AndsowouldEmily.
The thought dragged a sigh from his chest. He brushed her hair back from her face, his fingertips

lingeringagainsthervelvetyskin.HeneededtofindoutwhoorwhathadhurtEmilysobadlythatshe’d
given up on love. It could take months for her to open up enough to tell him herself. Meanwhile, the
emotionalinjurywasaffectingeverydecisionshemade.

Would Lexie tell him? He didn’t know the reporter well, but it had been obvious that she’d

recognizedtheattractionpulsingbetweenEmilyandhim.AndLexiehadn’tseemedopposedtotheidea.
Infact,hersuggestionshadassistedhim,creatingopportunitiesforhimtobealonewithEmily.

Vox eased his arm out from under Emily’s neck and carefully crawled off the side of the bed. She

barelymoved,whichsuitedhispurposesperfectly.RachelandLexiedidn’tyetknowheandEmilyhad
returned, so it was likely they’d be up already organizing the search efforts. Rather than taking time to
shower, he sent a cleansing pulse along the length of his body and then dressed in traditional Bilarrian
garb,braidedsynth-leatherpants,knee-highboots,andanembroideredtunic.

PausingonlylongenoughtoensurethatEmilystillsleptsoundly,hehurrieduptothemainhouseand

knockedontheglassdoor.

“Whendidyougetback?”Rachelcalledassheslidthelargedooropen.
Sheswepthimintoaquick,maternalhugbeforehecouldanswer,thenturnedandclosedthedoor.
“Where’sEmily?”Lexiehurriedacrossthelivingroom,Kadenonherheels.
“Emilyisstillasleep.Wereturnedveryearlythismorning.”
“Stillasleepwhere?”Lexieputbothhandsonherhipsandglaredathim.“Didshespendthenightin

yourcabin?”

Hechuckled.Herprotectivenesswasunderstandable.Shewasobviouslyveryfondofhercousin.“I

haveeveryintentionofclaimingher.Doesthatalleviateyourconcerns?”

Her brows arched nearly to her hairline and she glanced at her mate before responding. “I thought

Rodytesmovedfast.HasEmilyagreedtobecourted?”

“Notyet,”headmitted.
“Doessheknowyouintendtoclaimher?”Racheljoinedin,lookingnearlyasconcernedasLexie.
Kadenhungbackastep,silentlytakingitallin.
“Sheisawareofmyinterestandhasinformedmethatshehasnouseforromanceofanykind.”
Sadness crept into Lexie’s eyes, softening her expression. “And she means it. She hasn’t been

romanticallyinvolvedwithanyoneforyears,hasn’tevencomeclose.”

“Doyouknowwhy?”
Sheheavedanaudiblesighandrelaxedhershoulders.“It’snotmystorytotell.”
He’dexpectedthis.“Shewon’ttellme.It’sobviousshewon’tmakeherselfthatvulnerable.”When

Lexiedidn’timmediatelyrespond,headded,“Ihavegenuinefeelingsforher,Lexie.Thisisn’tapassing
flirtation.”

“Iunderstandthat.I’mjustnotsureIcanhelpyou.”
“There’sfreshcoffeeanddoughnuts.Helpyourselves.”Rachelwavedthemontowardthekitchen.“I

havecallstomake.HalfofTandoriTribeisheadedthisway.”

“Thankyou,”hecalledasshewalkedaway.
Shewaved,acknowledgingthecomment,butkeptonwalking.
LexieandKadenmovedintothekitchen.Voxfollowedthem.Hedidn’twantEmilytowakeupalone,

but this opportunity might never come again. “Is there anything you can tell me without breaking her
confidence?”

KadenfilledmugsforhimandLexie,thentookthemtothekitchentable.Therewasalargedining

roomtableintheotherroom,whichwaswhereRacheltendedtotakeherguests.Thismeeting,however,
was informal so she’d chosen a more intimate setting. Vox took one of the ceramic mugs off the tray
beside the coffeemaker and filled it before joining the couple at the table. He’d developed a taste for
coffeeduringanextendedmissiononEarthsomeyearsbeforeandwaslookingforwardtoreacquainting
himself with the morning standard. A box of doughnuts and small paper plates were waiting for them
there.Hewastoodistractedtobehungry.

“Idon’tthinkEmilyevenknowsIknowaboutwhathappened,butshe’dbefuriousifshefoundoutI

toldyou.”Lexieblewonhercoffee,thentookasip.“It’sreallysadandextremelypersonal.”

“Howdidyoufindout?”Voxaskedher.
“My sisters and I were raised by our grandmother, who is also Emily’s grandmother. I overheard

Emily’smothertalkingtohermother.”

“Thewomanwithwhomyoulived?”
“Exactly.”
Henodded,sortingthroughthefamilialconnections.“ThenEmilyhasnevertoldanyone?”
Lexie shook her head. “She’s close to Larry and Stan, but I can’t see her sharing something this

painfulwiththem.”

“Shedoesn’thaveanyotherfriends,nooneinwhomshecanconfide?”
Again Lexie shook her head, but clearly the subject was upsetting her. Kaden reached over and

rubbedherback,hisdarkgazesolidlyfixedonhismate.

“Sheintentionallyisolatesherselffromeveryone,”Lexiecontinued.“Sheclaimstolikeitthatway,

butit’shardtobelieve.Sheusedtobesooutgoing,sobubbly.Shewastheonewhogotmeintotrouble
mostofthetime.Nowshe’ssoserious,soreserved.ThisisoneofthereasonsIwantedtorecruither.I
washopingtorekindlesomesortofinterestinlife.”

Vox took several sips of coffee before he spoke again. “Can we speak in general terms? Was the

injuryphysicaloremotional?Didthesituationinvolveintentionalabuse?”

Lexie looked at Kaden, but he just said, “I’m not getting in the middle of this, love. Help him or

don’t.It’sentirelyuptoyou.”

Voxsmiled.Wisedecision.“Iwanttohelpher,butI’mnotsurehow.Canyouatleasttellmewhatto

avoid.AretheresituationsoremotionaltriggersthatwillsendherrunningbacktoAfrica?”

“Ohscrewit.I’veseenthewayshelooksatyou.She’llforgiveme—eventually.”Shesetdownher

mugandscootedclosertothetable.“YouhavetopromisemetwothingsbeforeI’lldothis.”

“Anything.”
Kadenlaughed.“He’sgotitbad.”
Lexiesmiledathermatebeforestatingherconditions.“First,youcan’tpushhertoofartoofast.That

willshutherdownfasterthananything.”

“Ialreadyfiguredthatout,andagreetothecondition.”
“You’renotgoingtolikethesecondone,”shewarned.
“Whatisit?”
“Youcan’tclaimheruntilyoutellherwhoyouare.Allofit.”
Indignation lifted his chin and narrowed his eyes. “I would never even consider claiming her until

shewasfullyawareofthesortoflifewe’dlead.”

Unmoved by his annoyance, Lexie didn’t back down. “I know you’re royalty. Unless that means

something very different on Bilarri than it does here, that sort of life comes with a complete lack of
privacyandextremelystrictexpectations.”

Heforcedhismusclestorelax.Theywereonthesameside,bothtryingtohelpEmily.“Itisthesame

onBilarri.”

“Thenshehastoknoweverythingbeforeyouclaimher.Evenifshe’sheadoverheelsinlovewith

theman,shehastoacceptthelifestyle.”

“Iagree,”hesaidstiffly.“AsIsaid,Iwouldneverclaimherwithoutexplainingallthebaggagethat

comesalongwithbeingmymate.”

“You’ll make her a princess, someday a queen,” Kaden pointed out. “Most females wouldn’t

considerthatbaggage.”

“Emily will,” Lexie insisted. “Trust me, she will. She’s the least materialistic and most private

personI’veeverknown.Hispositionisn’tanassetinthiscase,it’saliability.”

Vox didn’t want to think about the final hurdle. He had too much to accomplish before they got

anywherenearthatpoint.“I’veagreedtoyourconditions.Pleaseexplainwhathappenedtoher.”

LexiehandedhermugtoKaden.“Couldyougetmesomemore,please?”
“Ofcourse.”Hepushedbackhischairandstood.“WoulditbeeasierifIletyoutwohavetheroom?

There’sreallynoreasonformetoknowaboutEmily’ssecrets.”

Afterabriefhesitation,Lexienodded.“ItwouldfeellessgossipyifIonlytellVox.”
“Notaproblem.”Kadenrefilledthemug,returnedittoLexie,thenlefttheroom.
SilencefelltenseandawkwardasLexiepausedtosiphercoffee.Voxwasscramblingforawayto

breakthetensionwhenshesaid,“Kadenisvouchingforyou.Heassuredmethatyou’rehonorableand
wouldneverdoanythingtohurtEmily.Youbetternotscrewthisup,oryou’lldealwithbothofus.”

“She’smymate,”hestressed.“YouarebondedwithaRodyte.Youunderstandwhatthatmeans.”
Her brows arched, though not as high this time. “I know what it means to a Rodyte. You’re

Bilarrian.”

“Bilarriansmateforlife,justlikeRodytes.Thecourtingprocessmightbesomewhatdifferent,butthe

resultisthesame.IwilltreasureEmily,oncesheentrustsmewithherheart.”

“Ifshedecidestotrustyouatall.Theresultisstillverymuchtobedetermined.”
Hedippedhisheadonce,refusingtoreinforceherpessimismwithwords.

Finally,withobviousreluctance,Lexiebeganherexplanation.“Emilyfellhardforthisjerknamed

Matthew when she was seventeen. He was older and… No, I really need to go back farther if you’re
going to understand. Emily’s mom, Olivia, got pregnant while she was still in high school. She’d just
turnedseventeenwhenEmilywasborn.”

“Wasthefatheralsoinhighschool?”
“AuntOliviawasprettywildinthosedays.Ifsheknowswhothefatheris,she’snotsaying.She’sthe

only parent Emily has ever known. Anyway, Aunt Olivia moved out of her parents’ house when Emily
was a few months old and got an apartment. She was a good mother, worked really hard to make sure
Emily had everything she needed, but her attitude about men was harsh to say the least. Emily grew up
hearingthatmenwereuselessparasitesthatonlyhadoneuseforwomen.Shewastaughttobesuspicious
ofanyonewhohappenedtobemale.”

“DoesEmilystillsharethisattitude?Shedidn’tseemtoyesterday.”Suchbitternesswashardtohide.
“WithEmilyit’smorecomplicatedthanutterdisdain.Letmeexplaintherestandyou’llseewhy.”
Voxnodded,alreadydreadingwhatLexiewasabouttoreveal.
“EmilygraduatedearlyandwaswaitingtableswhenshemetMatthew.Shetalkedaboutnothingelse,

thoughtaboutnothingelse.Hewasgorgeousandtalented,ambitiousandromantic.Theyweregoingtoget
married,haveabunchofperfectkids,andlivehappilyeverafter.Despitehermother’sbitterness,Emily
turnedintoaromanticovernight.Matthewwashereverything.”

Voxwrappedhisfingersaroundhismugtokeepfromclenchinghisfists.“Washeequallydevotedto

her?”Thestoryendedbadly,soheknewtheanswer.

“Heseemedtobe—inthebeginning.Hehadaplaceofhisownandagoodjob.Hespentallhisfree

time with Emily, so no one was surprised when he asked her to move in with him. They’d only been
togetherforafewmonths,butthey’dbeeninseparableandseemedtogetalongincrediblywell.”

Givingupanypretenseatcalm,Voxfistedhishandsashisphitonsstartedtoburn.“Hedidnotoffer

marriage,simplycohabitation?”Didthemanhavenohonor?

Lexie’ssmilewastingedwithsadness.“Mosthumansdon’tmateforlife.Infact,fewerandfewer

arebotheringtomateatall.”Hisstartledexpressionmadeherlaugh.“Ohwestillhavesexlikecrazy.We
justdon’tstaywithonepersonverylong.”

Voxbitbackacausticreply.Obviously,Lexiedidn’tfeelthatway.She’dallowedapermanentbond

with her Rodyte mate. “Did you actually meet Matthew or was your opinion of him based strictly on
Emily’sdescriptions?”

“I met him several times. He was really good looking and talented. It was easy to understand why

Emilywasattractedtohim.She’salwaysbeendrawntocreativepeople.”

“Creative?Youmentionedtalentbefore.WhatwasMatthew’sprofession?”
“Matthewwasamusician,playedinanalt-rockband.”
He didn’t understand the sarcastic inflection she put on the last phrase, so he asked, “Did Emily

accepthisdishonorableoffer?”

“Afraidso.Theylivedtogetherforalmosttwoyears.”Lexiepaused,staringdownintohercoffeeas

shegatheredherthoughts,orstruggledwithheremotions.Likely,someofeach.“Iknewthebreakupwas
ugly,thatEmilytookitreallyhard,butsherefusedtotalkaboutthespecifics.Iwasinmyfirstserious
relationshipatthetime,soIwasn’tpayingasmuchattentionasIshouldhavebeen.We’dgoformonths
withoutseeingeachother,whichwaswhy…”Shesighedandpushedhermugaway.Herhandstrembled
andshekepttuckingherhairbehindherear.“IshouldhavebeenthereforherandIwasn’t.I’llregretthat
untilthedayIdie.”

An“ugly”breakupdidn’toftenleadtothesortofemotionaldefensesEmilyhaderected.Therehadto

bemoretothestory.“Whataren’tyoutellingme?”

“Ifoundoutabouttherestseveralyearsafterithappened,”Lexiewenton,“butIwasstillhorrified.

According to Aunt Olivia, Matthew’s roommate moved out two weeks before Matthew met Emily. He
desperatelyneededsomeonetohelpwithexpenses.That’swhyhewentafterEmilywithsuchfocus.”

“Isthiscreaturestillalive?”
Lexie smiled, but her eyes reflected sadness and regret. “You haven’t heard anything yet. He went

backtopart-timeworkonceEmilymovedinandlethershoulderthemajorityoftheirexpenses.Yousee,
Matthewwantedtobearockstar,andEmilywashismealticket.Hewasusingherfromdayone,butshe
wastooinlovetoseeit.”

“Whatopenedhereyes?”Hebracedhimselffortheemotionalavalanchesuretofollow.Thisself-

absorbedwannaberockstarhademotionallycrippledhismate.Angerandtheneedforretributionalready
boiledwithinhimandLexie’sexplanationhadonlybegun.

“They were already well into the downward spiral when everything just imploded. His band was

playing regularly in bars, even doing some regional touring. There was a continual stream of booze,
drugs,andotherwomen,butnotalotofmoney.”

“Ifhumansdon’tmateforlife,whydidn’tEmilyendtherelationship?”
“Hope. Things had been good in the beginning. Emily kept convincing herself that things would

change,thattheMatthewshefellinlovewithwouldreturn.”

“But that Matthew didn’t exist, had never existed?” She only nodded, so he asked, “Who finally

endedtherelationship?”

Another tense pause followed, then Lexie sighed. “Emily went off the Pill because the hormones

weregivinghermigraines.Idon’tknowthespecifics,butonenighttheydidn’tuseacondomandEmily
endeduppregnant.”

A complex storm of emotions inundated him in one brutal deluge. “Emily has a child?” Vox loved

children,felttheywereoneofthebrightestblessingsintheuniverse,butthiswouldfurthercompromise
Emily’sworthinessintheeyesofhisfather.

Before he could unravel the tangled emotions, she shook her head. “Matthew insisted she end the

pregnancy.He’dstressedfromthestartthathedidn’twantkidsandEmilyhadagreed.”

Hejuststaredather,horrifiedbytheagonizingdecisionshismatehadfacedallbyherself.
“Emily refused to have an abortion. They fought about it for weeks. Matthew saw his meal ticket

slippingawayandhewasn’tgoingtoallowthattohappen.Playingrockstarisexpensive,butthebastard
wasn’tabouttogiveitupandgetarealjob.”

“Youindicatedthatshedoesn’thaveachild.DidshefinallygiveintoMatthew’spressure?”
“Ohno.AllofMatthew’sdemandsjustmadehermoredeterminedtohavethebaby.Littlebylittle

the lessons from her childhood came back. Matthew was everything her mother warned her about and
worse.Shewasaboutfourmonthsalongwhenshelefthimandmovedbackinwithhermom.”

“Theman-hater.”Hecringed.Howincreationwouldheeverbeabletohelpfreeherfromallthis

pain?

“Yeah.AndAuntOlivia’sattitudegrewevenworseafterthat.Emily’spredicamentreinforcedAunt

Olivia’sbitterness.LikeIsaid,shehasmanyfaults,butshelovesEmilylikecrazy.”

“Whathappenedtothebaby?”Hewasalmostafraidtoask.Alreadythesituationshedescribedwas

intolerable,heartbreaking.“Didshearrangeforanadoption?”

“According to Aunt Olivia’s drunken confession, Emily couldn’t decide what she wanted to do.

That’swhynooneelseknewaboutthebaby.Emilyinsistedonkeepingitasecretuntilshemadeupher
mind.Ifshegavethebabyupforadoption,shewouldsimplypretenditneverhappenedandgetonwith
herlife.”

“Youneversawherduringthistime,neverguessedthatshewaspregnant?”
Tears welled in her eyes as she shook her head. “I was dealing with my own romantic issues and

Emilywassodepressedbecauseofthebreakup,sherefusedtoseeanyone.AuntOliviatoldmetogive

hersometime,soIdid.”

“WhatdidEmilyfinallydecide?”
“Sevenmonthsintothepregnancy,shewentintolabor.Thedoctorsdideverythingtheycouldtostop

hercontractions,butnothingworked.BythenEmilyhadacceptedthatshewasgoingtobeamotherand
hadjuststartedtogetexcitedaboutallthatwouldmean.”Emotionclosedherthroatforamoment,then
she released a strangled sob. Suddenly, Kaden was there pulling her out of the chair and into his arms.
She hugged her mate tightly, accepting his comfort, before she regained enough composure to finish the
tragic story. She turned around without stepping out of Kaden’s embrace, clearly strengthened by his
support. “The baby weighed less than two pounds, but according to Aunt Olivia she was perfect. She
lived for thirty-seven minutes, just long enough to shatter what little remained of Emily’s heart.” Lexie
furiouslyblinkedbacktears.

Voxfeltasifshe’djustkickedhiminthegut.Theemotionalrollercoastershedescribedmusthave

beendevastating.OnebyoneallofEmily’shopesanddreamshadbeensmashedrightbeforehereyes.He
wantedtoruntoherandofferwhatevercomfortshe’daccept,butdoubtlesslyshe’dshutdowncompletely
ifsherealizedheknewaboutherpast.

“AuntOliviakeptblamingEmily’sdepressiononthebreakup.IfEmilyhadn’tbeenfoolishenoughto

trust a man, she wouldn’t be curled up in the corner crying her eyes out. She figured if Emily wanted
anyone to know about the baby, she’d tell them.” Another shuddering breath escaped before she
concluded,“Tomyknowledge,Emilynevertoldanyone.Shebottleditallupinside,thenstartedrunning
fromthepain.Shetookanyassignmentshecouldfindthatkeptheronthemove,farawayfromanything
resemblingthelifeshe’dalmostknown.”

“DoesMatthewstilldrawbreath?”Furystrengthenedthequestionthistime.
Lexieshookherhead.“Hewassodeterminedtolivelikearockstarthathediedlikeone.”
“Whatdoesthatmean?”
“HeoverdosedthreemonthsafterEmilylefthim.Chokedtodeathonhisownvomit.”
“Good,thenIwon’thavetokillhim.”PartofVox,thedark,primalpart,wasdisappointed.Itwould

havefeltwonderfultopersonallydeliverjusticetoEmily’sabuser.

Tense silence followed as Vox processed his emotions and Lexie regained composure. Lexie had

alreadybeenmoreforthcomingthanhe’dexpected,butVoxhadonelastquestion.“Therehasbeennoone
sinceMatthew?Notevenacasualflirtation?”

“Ididn’tsaythat.TherehavebeentwothatIknowof,butEmilydidn’ttakeeitherseriously.Itwas

obvioustoeveryone—includingbothmen—thatshewasjustpassingtime.Scratchinganitchbeforeshe
headedoffonhernextadventure.”

Hisonlyresponsewasastiffnod.Hecouldn’tblameEmilyforhavingsuchacavalierattitude.He’d

scratched an itch a few times down through the years. Still, it bothered him greatly to think of his mate
withanyonebuthim.

“Now you know.” Lexie pulled in a deep breath, then slowly let it out. “The only question left is,

whatareyougoingtodoaboutit?”

*****

Emilyheardanoddnoiseandsprangupinbed,instantlyawake.Herheartthuddedinherchestanda

vaguesenseofwrongspedherrespiration.Wherewassheandhowhadshegottenhere?Shetookadeep
breath,searchinghermemory.Vox.ThiswasVox’scabinatStargazerRanch.

Arushofheatandemotionaccompaniedthethought.He’dkissedher,wrappedhisarmsaroundher

and tasted her mouth. It had been so long since anyone looked at her with desire in their eyes. She’d
almost forgotten what it felt like. And then he’d pulled her into bed with him, just wanting her near,

needingtofeelherbesidehimashesleptandrecoveredhisstrength.She’dfeltsafeandsheltered,warm
insideandout.

Drawnby the directionof her thoughts,an image from thepast stirred. Aface she’d banished long

ago.She refused tothink his name,not willing to empowerthe memory. Pressurebanded her chest and
tearsmadehereyesburn.She’dvowednottowastetimeorenergyonthepastandforthemostpartshe’d
keptthatvow.Butthisnewtemptation,sounexpectedandsurreal,madeitalmostimpossibletoresistthe
memories.

Mencan’tbetrusted,andhandsomemenaretheworst.Theylieandcheat,manipulateandbetray.

Onlyafoolwouldallowthemselvestobeusedbyaman.Hermother’svoicedroveawaytheimages,
bothrecentandlongpast.Emilyrefusedtoletbitternessconsumeher,butshe’dfoundfewexamplesto
provehermotherwrong.

UntilshemetVox.
Voxhadbeenselflessandprotective,charmingandgallant.He’d—
—Endangeredyourlifebecauseofhispride.Ifhe’dbeenhonestabouthisweakness,youwouldn’t

havespentallthosehoursinthewilderness.Herinnervoicesuddenlysoundedjustlikehermother.

Withafrustratedsigh,shetossedbackthecoversandcrawledoutofbed.Voxhadprobablygoneup

tothemainhousetolettheothersknowthey’dreturned.Herwristonlyhurtwhenshemoveditjustright
andtheswellingwasnearlygone.Itwasmoreofanannoyancethananinjurynow,thankstoVox’shealing
power.Shewentintotheadjacentbathroomandshookouthercargopants.Theywerestilldamp.She’d
beensoconcernedaboutVoxwhentheyarrivedthatshehadn’thungthemup.TheborrowedT-shirtfellto
her knees, so she wasn’t indecent, but she didn’t feel comfortable leaving the cabin in nothing but an
oversizedshirt.

Afterdrapingherdampclothesoverthetowelracksothey’dfinishdrying,shewalkedoutintothe

cabin’smainroom.Sunlightspilledinthroughtheblindscoveringthelargefrontwindow.Shewenttothe
window and peered outside. Other similar cabins fanned out in a semicircle around the main house,
Rachel’shouse.StargazerRanch.Shestillwasn’tsurewhatthebattlebornintendedtodohere.Lexiehad
sidesteppedthequestion,butEmilywasn’tsureiftheevasionhadbeenintentionalorifothertopicshad
justbeenmoreimportantatthetime.Thecomplexwasrelativelysmallandsecluded,unlesstherewas
moretotheranchthanwhatshe’dseensofar.She’dlearnedalotaboutthebattleborninthepasttwenty-
fourhours.Still,shehadnodoubttherewasmuchmoretolearn.

Movement drew her attention to the main house. Vox and Lexie stepped out onto the railed deck.

Lexiehadanovernightbagslungoverhershoulder.WhenhadLexiestartedwearingdresses?Emilyhad
thoughtitoddyesterdaywhenLexieshowedupinaskirt.Twodaysinarowwasdownrightsuspicious.

Voxcarriedalargetrayladenwithcovereddishesandbeveragecontainers.He’ddressedinoneof

theoutfitsshe’dseenhanginginhiscloset.Fromthisdistance,thepantslookedsolidbrown,butsheknew
they were actually made of intricately woven strips of something that looked and felt like leather. His
tunic was dark green, the hem elaborately embroidered in gold. On anyone else, the dated style would
haveseemedlikeacostume.Vox’sregalbearingandrestrainedstrength,however,perfectlymatchedthe
unusualgarments.

Sheopenedthefrontdoorastheynearedthecabin,butkeptherbodypartialhiddenbehindthedoor.

“Didyoubringmepresents?”Shegreetedthemwithasmile.

“Rachel insisted on making a hot breakfast for everyone.” Lexie motioned toward the tray. “That

includesyou.AndIbroughtsomecleanclothes,courtesyofRachelaswell.”

“ThankGod.Iwasn’tsurewhatIwasgoingtodountilmypantsdry.”Lexiehandedhertheovernight

bagandEmilysaid,“I’llberightback.”

She returned to the bathroom and quickly dressed in jeans and a short-sleeved sweater. The jeans

weretighterthanshewouldhaveliked,butatleasttheywerecleananddry.Rachelhadevenprovideda

combandbrush,varioushairbandsandbarrettes,anddeodorant.Afterworkingherhairintoathickbraid
andsecuringtheendwithanelasticband,Emilyhurriedbackintothecabin’smainroom.

“Wereyouabletocalloffthesearch?”sheaskednooneinparticularasshejoinedVoxandLexieat

thesquaretableacrosstheroom.

“Apparentlyso,”Voxresponded.“NooneshowedupwhileIwasthere.”
“Rachelcalledeveryoneandtoldthemnottocome,”Lexieclarified.“Eatbeforeitgetscompletely

cold.”

Voxchuckled.“You’restartingtosoundlikeRachel.”HeliftedoneofthelidsandhandedEmilya

platepiledhighwithscrambledeggs,bacon,sausagelinks,andgoldenhashbrowns.”

Emilyfelthereyeswiden.“There’snowayI’llbeabletoeatallofthis.”
“That’s Rachel’s only weakness as a cook. She always makes way too much.” Lexie handed her a

napkin-wrappedbundle,thenpouredheramugofcoffee.

AfterlookingfromLexietoVoxandback,Emilyunwrappedtheflatwareandspreadthenapkinon

herlap.“WhydoIfeellikeI’mabouttobeambushed?”

Lexieshookherheadandsmiled.“You’vealreadyenduredtheambush,butitwasinterruptedbyyour

unscheduledsidetriptoGodknowswhere.”

ThereminderclearlyirritatedVox.Hepressedbackintohischairandhisexpressiontensed.
“Areyoufeelingbetter?”Emilyaskedhim.“Iwasreallyworriedaboutyou.”
Herconcernseemedtolightenhismood.Hisgazesmolderedandafaintsmiletuggedatonecorner

ofhismouth.“I’mmuchimproved,andallthefoodRachelinsistedIeatshouldhelpevenmore.Howis
yourwristthismorning?”

“Nearlythereaswell.”Sheliftedherarmandcarefullydemonstratedherincreasedrangeofmotion.

ThensheturnedbacktoLexieandasked,“Sowhat’sontheagendafortoday?”Shemunchedawayasshe
waitedforLexietoexplain.

“KadenarrivedlastnightinoneofthePhantoms.It’sasuper-fastshuttle,soitcantakeustoLunar

Nineinlessthananhour.Youcanlookaround,talktoafewpeople,andthendecideifyouwanttostayor
havesomeoneflyyoubacktoAfrica.”

Emily paused. The day’s schedule was what she’d expected, but Lexie had mentioned Kaden with

such nonchalance that it immediately made Emily suspicious. “Who is Kaden? This isn’t the first time
you’vementionedhim.”

AknowingsmilepartedVox’slips,butLexieshrugged.“He’scommanderoftheIntrepid, which is

thehospitalshiponwhichthey’reconductingtheclinicaltrials.”

VoxaskedLexieaquestioninalanguageEmilydidn’tunderstand.Waitaminute.Whenandhowhad

Lexielearnedanalienlanguage?She’dflunkedoutofSpanishbackinhighschool.

BeforeEmilycouldconfronthercousinaboutthedevelopment,someoneknockedonthecabin’sfront

door.

“It’sopen,”Voxcalled,apparentlyexpectingthevisitor.
Emily turned and watched as a tall, muscular man entered the cabin. He was dressed all in black,

except for the golden stripes running down his sleeves and pant legs. There were no insignias or rank
indicators, yet the outfit was clearly a uniform. Dark hair just brushed his shoulders and whiskers
shadowed his jawline, contradicting the neatness of his clothing. His features were ruggedly handsome
andhispurple-ringeddarkeyeswerefocusedonLexieandonlyLexie.

“Good morning, Commander Lux,” Lexie’s expression communicated import, yet Emily couldn’t

deciphertheexactmessage.

“Goodmorning,Ms.Ward.”
HistoneheldjustahintofsarcasmandunderstandingunfurledinsideEmily.Theywerelovers,or

wellontheirwaytobecomingintimate.NowonderLexiewasdancingaroundtheissue.Theycouldn’t

haveknowneachotherformorethanacoupleofweeks.

“Howlonghaveyoutwobeentogether?”Emilyblurted.
Lexie’sgazeflewtoherandguiltflashedinhergreeneyes.“Whatmakesyouthinkwe’reacouple?”
Emilyrolledhereyes.“Pa-leeze.Thechemistrybetweenyoutwoispalpable.”
BrightpinkcolorblossomedacrossLexie’scheeks,buthergazewasstilllockedonthecommander.

“When a Rodyte male encounters a genetically compatible female his body gives off a combination of
pheromones.Ifthefemaleisphysicallyattractedtohim,thesepheromonesamplifytheattraction,making
itincrediblyhardtoresist.”

Emily looked at Vox, her heart suddenly pounding. Did Bilarrians give off these pheromones too?

Wasthatwhyshecouldn’tstopthinkingabouthim?

Hisonlyresponsetoherunspokenquestionwasaknowingsmilethatmadeherheartbeatevenfaster.
“Thestrongerthenaturalattraction,themorepowerfulthepheromones,”Lexiewenton.“SoRodyte

courtshipstendtobefastandincrediblyintense.”

EmilydraggedhergazeawayfromVoxandsmiledathercousin.“Ifyou’rehappy,I’mhappy.You

don’t have to justify anything to me.” But the possibility wouldn’t leave her mind. Was she genetically
compatiblewithVox?Andwhatexactlydiditmeanifshewas?

Kadensteppedtowardherandheldouthishand.“I’mCommanderKadenLux.Lexiespeaksofyou

often.It’snicetomeetyou.”

She shook his hand. He was certainly handsome enough, but how well could Lexie have gotten to

knowhiminsuchashorttime?“It’snicetomeetyoutoo.”

TheychattedforafewminuteswhileEmilyfinishedeating,thenLexiegatheredupthedishesandput

everythingbackonthetray.“It’sdecisiontime,Em.ArewetakingyoutoLunarNineortoAfrica?”

Emilypressedbackintoherchairandlookedfromoneexpectantfacetotheothers.Shewantedto

askifVoxwascomingaswell,butdidn’twanttoencouragehisinterest.Therewasnoroominherlife
forromance,notevenromancewithsomeoneasintriguingasVox.“IwanttoseeLunarNine.But,”she
paused for effect, “I will not be part of the transformation program, even if I’m genetically compatible
withhalftheoutpost.”Itwasmoreofaremindertoherselfthanawarningtotheothers.

“Thisisstrictlybusiness,”Lexieassured,butthegleaminhereyeswarnedEmilythatLexiedidn’t

believeherownwords.

ChapterFive

VoxfidgetedinhisseataboardthePhantom.Hehatedconventionalspacetravel,founditslowand

tedious.Buthecouldn’tseemtostayawayfromEmily.EventhoughhisworkwasbackonEarth,hefound
himself following after her like an obedient puppy. He’d used his illness as an excuse to tag along,
claimedheneededtocheckinwithhisdoctorandmakesurehisrecoverywascontinuingoncourse.It
was utter nonsense. If he were really worried about his health, he’d have sent for a Bilarrian healer.
RodyteswerecluelesswhenitcametoBilarrianphysiology.

TheywerealmosttoLunarNineandhe’dbarelyspokenduringtheentiretrip.Kadensatinthepilot’s

seat,thenavigator’sseatwasempty,andVoxsatacrossfromthetwofemalesinthecenter-facingseats.
Lexieand Emily hadknown each othertheir entire lives, sothey’d chatted away,catching up on recent
happenings.Kadenseemedcontenttoplaychauffer.HedoubtlesslyknewhowmuchEmilymeanttohis
mateandwashappytoletthemhavesomegirltime.

“Not all Rodytes can speak English,” Lexie told Emily as the shuttle reached the dark side of the

moon. “You’ll need translator nanites and routine vaccinations, so our first stop needs to be one of the
clinics.”

“I’musedtogettingvaccinationswhenItravel,butdothenanitesrequireaninjectionorsurgery?”

Emily’sknittedbrowrevealedconcerneventhoughhervoiceremainedcalm.

“Justasimpleinjection,overinaninstant.It’snothingtoworryabout.Ipromise.”
Emilyonlynodded,butVoxwasn’tpleased.AnythingthatupsetEmilyupsethim.
Kadenclearedtheirapproachwithoutpostsecurity,whichtriggeredathoughtinVox’smind.“Have

youarrangedsecurityforEmily?”heaskedKaden.“It’smyunderstandingthatunmatedfemalesmustbe
escorted.”

ThefemalesfellsilentandEmily’sgazewhippedtowardhim.“Areyouserious?”
“Heis,”Kadencutit,“butI’mwayaheadofhim.Dakarwilleitherescortyouhimselforarrangefor

oneofhismentoensureyoursafety.He’sseniorenforcernow,soit’sallarranged.”

“Dakar? Your youngest brother?” With an impatient flick of his wrist, Vox released his safety

restraintsandscootedtowardtheedgeofhisseat.“IknowDakar’sreputation.Heisnotanacceptable
escortformy…foranunmatedfemale.”

Kadenspunhischairaround,clearlyupsetbytheaccusation.“Iresenttheimplicationthat—”
“Idon’tneedabodyguard,”Emilyinsisted,notwaitingforKadentofinishhisdefense.“It’shard

enough to get people to open up to a reporter. If some armed goon is following us around, it will be
impossible.”

“Dakar is not an armed goon,” Kaden muttered. “As I said he is senior enforcer. That means he

overseessecurityfortheentireoutpost.He’llbediscreteandprofessional,buttherearenoexceptionsto
therule.Unmatedfemalesmustbeescorted.”

EmilylookedatLexieforsupport,butLexieshrugged,thensaid,“It’snotjustforyourprotection.It

keeps the outpost running smoothly. I’ve met Dakar. He’s laidback and pleasant. You’ll like him. I
promise.”

TheassurancemadeVoxevenmoreagitated.Accordingtogossip,Dakarwasaflirt.Hisfun-loving

personality drew females to him like metal to a magnetic field. The last thing he wanted was Emily
spendingtimewithDakarLux.

“IwillescortEmilymyself.Thereisnoneedtoinvolveyourbrother.”
Kaden made several quick adjustments to the control matrix before responding to Vox. “There are

twelvenewlytransformedcouplesheadingtoStargazerRanchbecausetheyexpecttobetrainedbyyou.
Arealltwenty-fourofthemsupposedtositaroundandwaituntilyou’refinishedcourtingEmily?”

“Wearenotcourting.”Emilylookedathim,herexpressiontense,eyeswide-open.“Idon’twanta

mate.Itoldyouthatalready.”

Voxarchedhisbrows,unwillingtoallowthestatementtostand.“Youdon’twanttoshareyourlife

withsomeone,growoldattheirsideasyouwatchyourchildrenmatureandstartfamiliesoftheirown?”

Herchinraisedanotchanddefiancesparkedinhergaze.“Imightwantthatatsomepointinmylife,

butnotrightnow.”Shepausedforaquickbreath,thenglancedaway.“Andnotwithyou.”

Tension banded Vox’s chest for just a moment, then burning determination consumed the hurt. He

neededtoseehereyes,gaugeheremotions.Hisinstinctivereactionwastopursueher,chaseherdown
with escalating intensity until she surrendered to a force more powerful than either of them. Instead, he
whispered,“Iunderstand.”

Hergazeshotbacktohis,herfeaturesopenandexpressive.Hesawshockanddisappointment,but

mostofallfear.Shestartedtospeak,thenclosedhermouthandlookedawayagain.

His spirit settled, accepting the path he must take. She was terrified of being hurt, understandably

distrustful. Patient persistence was the only approach that would work with someone so wounded, so
afraid.Threemonthswasn’talotoftimetoovercomealifetimeofbetrayal,buthe’duseeveryday,every
hourifneedbe,towearherdown.

Theydockedalongthearrivalconcourseafewminuteslater.WatchingEmilyreacttoherfirstsight

ofLunarNinemadeitallfeelnewagain.

“Ihadnoideaitwassobig.”Sheshookherhead,eyesroundwithwonder.“Howcouldallofthisgo

unnoticedbyEarth?It’sastonishing.”

“Theoutpostwasbuiltalmostfiftyyearsago,”Lexietoldher.“Therebelsjustreopenedit.”
“Evenfiftyyearsagohumanshadtelescopes,”Emilypointedout.
“The moon revolves around the sun, but it doesn’t rotate like the Earth does. The dark side of the

moonisalwaysfacingawayfromyourplanet.”Kadenfinishedhispost-flightchecksandmovedtostand
betweenthetwoforward-facingseats.“Whenweemergefromhyperspace,themoonblocksEarth’sview
ofourships.We’rebasicallyfreetocomeandgoatwill.”

“That’saseriouslydisturbingthought,”Emilymutteredasshereleasedhersafetyrestraints.
Lexiereachedoverandsqueezedhershoulder.“Wecan’tgoonpretending.Ignorance,nomatterhow

comfortable,isdangerous.That’sourprimarymission,toeducateourworldonthetruereality.”

Theyfellintotensesilenceastheydisembarked.Emilypausedatthetopofthegangwayandturned

inaslowcircle.Theoutposthadbeenbuiltagainst,andatsomepointsinto,thecavernwall,creatinga
semicircleofmulti-levelbuildings.Twoconcoursesprotrudedfromthemainentrance,oneontopofthe
other.Thetoplevelwasreservedforarrivalswhilethelowerlevelhouseddepartures.

“Comeon.”LexiemotionedEmilyonward.“ThereissomuchIwanttoshowyou.”
Voxstrodealongthesteepgangplankbehindthefemales,silentlyplottinghisnextmove.He’dgive

heradayortwotowonderwhyhe’dgivenupsoeasily,thenhe’dsendherflowersoroffersomeother
romantic gesture to let her know his interest in her remained. She’d rebuff him, no doubt, but he’d
continue until she agreed to see him again. Then he’d be polite yet slightly distant as if he might
discontinuehispursuitatanymoment.Itwouldallbeanact,ofcourse.Hehadnointentionofgivingup
onher,ever.

“WelcometoLunarNine.”
ThecheerfulmalevoicedrewVoxfromhisstrategy.ARodytemalestoodontheplatformatthebase

of the gangway. His long dark hair had been drawn back from his face and braided. The familial
resemblance to Kaden easily identified him as Dakar Lux. He wore a black-and-gold uniform different
enoughfromthemilitaryuniformstoindicateadifferentrole.Hislipspartedinafriendlysmileandthe
purpleringsinhiseyesshimmered.

“Thankyou,kindsir.”Lexiereturnedhissmile,butEmilyonlyglancedatDakarthencontinuedher

visualinspectionoftheoutpost.

“Raylonwantstospeakwithyouimmediately,”Dakartoldhim.“They’reinthejungle.”
“Jungle?”Emilyechoed.“Ipresumeyoudon’tmeanthatliterally,sowhat’sthejungle?”
“Hydroponicsfarm.It’sallniceandorderlynow,butitwascompletelyovergrownwhentheyfirst

got here,” Lexie explained. “A human woman runs the project. Her name is Raina and her mate, Kotto,
commandsoneoftheships.”

“TheCrusader.”Kadenprovidedthedetail.
“Iseverywomanupherematedtooneofthebattleborn?”
Vox didn’t wait for someone to answer. He nodded to Dakar and walked away. Every instinct Vox

possessedprotestedhisleavingEmilyinthecompanyofanunattachedmale.Still,hehadnootherchoice.
His new strategy required a show of indifference. Besides, their conversation en route indicated that
LexieintendedtostaywithEmily,soEmilywouldn’tbealonewithDakar.

Thoughhishearturgedhimtoturnaroundandreturntohismate,heforcedhimselfnottolookback.
The main entrance to Lunar Nine led to the commerce tiers, oblong rings of shops and restaurants

stackedoneontopofanother.Hebarelyglancedatthewidearrayofwaresandservicesnowavailable
to the rebels. Instead he took one of the express tunnels leading to different parts of the outpost. The
agricultural zone was part of the high security area and couldn’t be entered without proper clearance.
RainamusthaveinstructedoneofherassistantstowatchforhimbecauseasmilingRodyteteenopened
thesecuritydoorandmotionedhiminside.

He’dnevervisitedthejunglebefore,buthe’dheardalotaboutit.Largeplanttrays,onestackedon

top of another, stretched out before him in seemingly endless rows. The air was dense and humid, no
doubtfromthenutrient-richliquidcirculatingthroughthetrays.

“They’re downstairs in the wonder cave,” the teen told him as they walked down one of the long,

narrowaisles.

Voxnodded,acknowledgingthecommentwithoutengagingtheyoungman.Hismindwastoofilled

with thoughts of Emily to tolerate small talk. He was escorted into a storeroom near the back of the
massiveroom,buttheteendidn’taccompanyhimashedescendedthetwistingmetalstaircase.

Like the jungle above, Vox had heard about the mysterious terraformed cave Raina had discovered

shortlyafterherarrivalonLunarNine.Nooneseemedtoknowhowithadcomeintobeingorwhyithad
been made. To Vox’s knowledge, there were only eight races with the ability to transform a barren
wasteland into an ecosystem capable of sustaining humanoid life. Rodytes were not one of the eight.
NeitherweretheBilarriansforthatmatter.

Hesteppedjustinsidethetransformed“wonder”caveandpaused.Afainttrailledthroughthelush

vegetation,buttheleafytreesandfloweringbushesweresooutofplaceonEarth’smoonthatitgavehim
achill.Whyhadthecavebeencreated,andmoreimportantly,whyhadthecreatorstoppedwithonlythis
onesmallcave?Whyhadtheynottransformedtheentiremoon?

“We’rebackbythewaterfall.”
VoxrecognizedRaylon’sdeepvoiceandfollowedthetrailuntilitemergednearthebackwallofthe

cavern.AsRaylonhadindicated,watertrickleddownthestonewallandformedapoolsurroundedby
spongygrass.“Youwantedtospeakwithme,Governor.”

“Idid.”Raylonmovedtotheside,clearingVox’sviewofasmallhumanfemaleinadirt-smudged

labcoat.“ThisisRainaTarr,Kotto’smate.”

Voxprofferedhishandinthemannerofhumans.“VoxLoriet,gladtomeetyou.”Likeherdomain,Vox

hadheardaboutRaina,buthe’dyettomeetherface-to-face.

Her handshake was surprisingly strong and she met his gaze directly as she said, “I’ve heard a lot

aboutyou.”

“Likewise.”

Withadirectnesshe’dlikelylearnedfromhismentor,ApexGeneralNox,Raylondoverighttothe

heartofthematter.“Weweren’tascautiousasweshouldhavebeenwhentalkingaboutthecave,somost
everyoneontheoutpostalreadyknowsaboutit.Whatwe’reabouttoshowyou,however,iscompletely
confidential.Canwecountonyourdiscretion?”

VoxshotRaylonanimpatientlook.“Ofcourse.”
“Thenstarethroughthewaterinthepond.Doyouseetheoblongshadow?”
Turningtothegentlyripplingwater,VoxspottedtheshadowydiscolorationtowhichRaylonreferred.

“Iseeit.WhatamIlookingat?”

“Wethoughtitwassomesortofportalleftbehindbywhomeverterraformedthiscave.Aprobecame

throughthismorningverifyingourhypothesis.”Despitehisoutwardnonchalance,Raylon’stonewasgruff
andfilledwithfrustration.

“Whatsortofprobe?”Anyunauthorizedinfringementontheoutpostwasaserioussecuritybreech.
“We’renotsure.Itcaughtusbysurprise,soweweren’tabletocaptureit.”Theadmissionclearly

botheredRaylon,buthesaidnothingelse.

“Whybringthisuptome?”
Raylonclaspedhishandsbehindhisbackandraisedhischin,lookingthroughVoxratherthanathim.

“There’snomentionofatransformedcaveorhiddenportalinanyRodytedatabaseandQuintoninsistshe
knowsnothingaboutit.I’dliketoasktheSymposiumiftheyhaveanyrecordofwhatwe’vefoundorif
they know who might have created this cave.” After a short pause, he admitted, “Garin is worried that
providingtheinformationtousdirectlycouldbeconstruedassupportforthebattleborncause.”

TheSymposiumwasaBilarriancouncildedicatedtocollectingobjectiveinformationfromallover

theuniverse.Theyremainedneutralinallconflicts,regardlessofhowminor.TheywereoneofBilarri’s
proudestachievements.“Iamhappytofindoutwhat,ifanything,theyknow.”

Raylonnoddedonce,thenglancedatVox.“Thankyou.”
“Higherprioritywillbegiventotherequestifmyfathersubmitsit.Withyourpermission,Iwillask

himtocontactLordDrakkinofHautelldirectly.”

“Thatwouldbegreat.”AwrysmilecurvedRaylon’slips.“We’vegotaprinceinresidence.Mightas

well take advantage of your connections while we can. Your father wants to talk to you anyway. He
contactedmeagainthismorning.”

Vox tensed. “Regarding?” Why hadn’t his father reached out to him telepathically if he needed

something?Voxwasnolongershieldinghislocationfromhisfamily.

“He said he pinged you twice, but you didn’t respond. He wanted to know if you had relapsed or

something.Itoldhimyouwereonthesurface,buttomyknowledgeyouwerefine.”

“I’llcontacthimimmediately.I’msorrytobotheryouagain.”Concealinghowconcernedhewasby

theinformation,Voxleftthecavewithoutfurtherconversation.

He retraced his steps until he stood on a railed walkway in a secluded section of the utility level.

Telepathic communication had been effortless for Vox for a decade or more. This was yet another
indicationofhisdepletedstrength.Despiteallofhisassurancestoothersthatallheneededwasfoodand
rest,clearlythatwasnotthecase.

Emptying his mind of everything but the task at hand, he found the common link members of his

bloodlinesharedandflowedalongtheconnection.Hisfather’ssignalwaseasytoidentify.Awredblazed
inthedistancelikeabeacon.VoxsentatelepathicpingandAwredrespondedimmediately.

It’sabouttime.
Voxignoredtheprovocationandkepthismentalvoicecalm.Iwastoldyouweretryingtocontact

me.

Whydidn’tyourespondtomypings?
Worryratherthanannoyanceaccompaniedthethought,soVoxansweredhonestly.Ididn’tsenseyou.

I’mstillweakerthanI’dliketoadmit.

Havetherebeenanyothersymptoms?
Nothing was gained by glossing over the truth. He couldn’t let his pride stand in the way of his

recovery.IlostcontrolwhileItriedtoteleport.Noonewasharmed,butitwashumiliating.

Youneedenergy.Clearlyonetransfer—evenfromme—wasnotenough.I’llsendyouaselectionof

feeders.

Vox cringed. He’d always hated the label and avoided their use. Feeders were Bilarrians with

unusually high concentrations of energy. Generally their only ability was to transfer their energy to
someonewhocoulduseit.Theywerewellcompensatedfortheirwillingnesstoshare,butVoxstillfound
thepracticedemeaning.

Mystrengthwon’treturnonitsown?
Unlikely.Ifitweregoingtoregeneratewithoutassistance,itwouldhavebynow.
Vox sighed, accepting the inevitable. Send them to Stargazer Ranch. It’s located in Boulder,

Colorado.Nowwasthereareasonyoureachedouttome?

Iwasworriedthatsomethinglikethismighthappen.Idon’tthinkyourealizehowcloseyoucame

todeath.Anyotherhealerwouldhavefailedtobringyoubackatall.Therewasnoarroganceinhis
father’sclaim.Awredwasstatingacold,hardfact.

I’m aware, and I’m grateful that you responded as quickly as you did. Despite my recent

discontent,Iamnotreadytopassbeyond.

Gladtohearit.
Voxfelthisfatherstartingtowithdraw.Beforeyougo,Ihaveafavortoask.
YoumeanotherthanremainingonEarth.
Respondingtohisfather’sjibeswasawasteofenergy.Voxhadlearnedthatlessonlongago.There

has been an unusual development on Lunar Nine. They discovered a terraformed cave beneath their
hydroponicsfarm.Asifthatweren’tstrangeenough,theyalsodiscoveredsomesortofportalhiddenin
the cave. There’s no record of either in any Rodyte database. They asked if I’d check with the
Symposiumandseeiftheyknowanythingaboutit.

YouwantmetocontactDrakkin?
Doubtlessly, he’d be reminded of this indulgence at a later time. His father never granted favors

withoutexpectingsomethinginreturn.Ifyoudon’tmind.

I’lltakecareofit.
Thank you. By the way, most of Lunar Nine knows about the cave, but only a chosen few know

abouttheportal.

Anunderstandableprecaution.I’llbediscreet.
Whenhisfatherslippedawaythistime,Voxlethimgo.
Oncehisfathertookonatask,thingsusuallymovedfast.Oneormoreofthefeederswouldsoonbe

ontheirwaytoStargazerRanch,whichmeantheneededtofindaridebacktoEarth.Teleportingwastoo
muchofariskuntilhewasfullyrecovered.Therealizationfilledhimwithfrustration.He’dyettoclaim
hismateandalreadyobligationswerepullingthemapart.

*****

“What’d you find out?” Rex kept his voice low, but made no effort to hide his activities from the

constant flow of pedestrians passing in front of the Marauder. He stood on the gangway leading to the
departureconcourseofLunarNine.Aconstantbuzzofactivitysurroundedhim.Shipsofeverysizeand
configurationnowcrowdedthesmallspaceport.Cargodroidsandautomatedcartszippedwarestoand
fromtheships,whilepassengersandcrewmembersrushedaroundoblivioustotheirsurroundings.He’d

foundthatpeopleseldompaidattentiontoconversationstakingplaceinplainsight.Besides,privacywas
almostnonexistentaboardashipassmallastheMarauder.

Xorran, a longtime friend and newest member of Rex’s crew, followed his example. “Information

abouttheOutcastsisseriouslyhardtocomeby.They’resecretiveasshitandeveryone’safraidofthem.”

RexhadbeenafterXorrantojointhecrewoftheMarauderforyears,butXorran’shighrankwithin

theRodytemilitarymadehimhardertorecruitthanmost.ThenXorran’scommandingofficerorderedhim
to murder a member of the Triad, the ultimate authority on Rodymia, in cold blood, and Xorran chose
defectionoverdishonor.

“But,”Rexprompted.Xorranwascreativeandresourceful,andhenevergaveup,whichwaswhy

RexhadaskedhimtocheckintotheOutcasts.Rexhadn’tactuallyagreedtohelpKageRazel.Kagemade
anofferandRexstatedhisterms.Thecontracthadyettobeexecuted.

“But,” Xorran’s lips curved into a lazy smile. “Once I left Lunar Nine, people lightened up and

becamemoretalkative.OneofthedancersatClubNoraxhadallsortsofinterestingthingstosayabout
themysteriousOutcasts.”

“Club Norax is still open?” He glanced at Xorran then away, wanting their conversation to appear

casual.“Ithoughttheownerdisappeared.”

“She did, but with that many customers clamoring for service, it was inevitable that someone take

over.”

“Fairenough.What’dthedancertellyou?”
“TherearemultipleOutcastencampments,buttheirheadquartersisinTelluride,Colorado.”
Rex was unfamiliar with the location, but it would be simple enough to find out more about it. A

basicdatasearchofEarth’sinternetshoulddothetrick.“Goon.”

“OneofhercustomersclaimedthatthereareatleastathousandOutcastseitheralreadyonEarthor

headedthisway.”

ThenumbersurprisedRex.RumorsintheirstarsystemestimatedtheOutcasts’numberatthreetimes

thatormore.HadKagesplithisforces,orhadhedoneadamngoodjobofkeepingthetruthobscured?
“AndRazel’sinteractionwiththebattleborn?Didthedancerknowanyofthespecifics?”

Xorranshookhishead,causingafewstrandsofhisblackhairtodroopacrosshisforehead.Likeso

manyofthebattleborn,militarylifewasallXorranknew.Hissternfeaturesandmuscularbodyreflected
thedemandinglifestyle.“Sherattledoffallsortsofgossip,buttheonetidbitIknewyou’dfindinteresting
wasthatKage’ssecond-in-commandisafreakingharbinger.”

Rexstilled,absorbingtheinformationwithoutanoutwardreaction.Agasporprofaneoutburstwould

drawattentiontotheirconversation,andeveryonemustbelievethiswasjustacasualchat.

Apparently,interpretingthesilenceasdisapproval,Xorran’svoicetookonahintofdefensiveness.

“You told me to find out what I could about the Outcasts, but the entire outpost is buzzing about some
terraformed cave. I found it curious, so I dug deeper. It took some doing, but one of the techs from the
hydroponicslabtoldmethey’dfoundaportal.”

“Portal?”Rexquicklyrefocusedhismind.“Whatsortofportal.”
“Interdimensional,” he said dramatically. “Most of the tech’s story was ridiculous, but I think the

leadersreallyhavefoundsomesortofgatewaytoanotherdimension.Nooneseemstoknowthedetails,
butsomethingisgoingondownthere.”

“Whatdotheyintendtodowiththisgateway?”
“Noclue.”Heshrugged.“Justthoughtyou’dwanttoknow.”
“Thanks,andgoodwork.”
Xorranacceptedthepraisewithaquicknod,thenclimbedaboardtheship.
Rexwasn’tsurehebelievedtheportalnonsense.He’daskaroundhimselftoseewhathecouldfind

out,buttheinformationaboutKagewasmorepressing,andmorediscouraging.IfKagehadaccesstoa

harbinger,thenwhydidheneedaspy?Itdidn’tmakesense.ApparentlyKagehadsometwistedreason
forwantingRextospyforhim,butRexcouldn’tevenimaginewhatitwas.

KagehadgivenhimthemysteriouscallswitchsoRexcouldcontacthim.Kagehadn’texplainedhow

itworked,andRexdidn’treallycare.HejusthopeditwouldsummonKagewithoutgivingeitherofthem
awaytotherebels.

*****

“Sowhatdoyouthinkofourhumbleoutpost?”

EmilylookedatDakarandsmiled.ItwashardnottosmilewhenshelookedatthehandsomeRodyte.

He was friendly and charming, had patiently answered her myriad questions, and still she couldn’t get
Vox’simageoutofhermind.“Ifindtheoutpostanythingbuthumble.I’mdazzledbythetechnologyand
movedbytherebelcause.Inotherwords,Ican’twaittogetstartedonourfirstexposé.”

LexiecheeredandhuggedEmilysotightlyshecouldhardlybreathe.
“Iknewyou’dcomearound,”Lexiesaidwhenshefinallysteppedback.“Everyonedoesassoonas

theyseethisplace.”

AftervisitingaclinicononeoftheshipssoEmilycouldreceivevaccinationsandtranslatornanites,

they’dspentthenextfourhourswanderingfromzonetozoneinsidetheoutpost.Dakarstayedcloseand
kept a watchful eye over their surroundings, but he didn’t participate in any of the interviews. Emily
spokewithseveralofthepeopleLexiehadprearranged,butEmilyalsospokewithrandomcrewmembers
andmerchants,ensuringthatshewasn’tbeingledtoaforgoneconclusion.Lexieheldbackandhonored
Emily’sprocess,apparentlywantinghertofeelcomfortablewithherdecision.

“Kadensaidyourunsecurityfortheoutpost.”TheonlypersonleftthatEmilyhadn’tyetinterviewed

wasDakarhimself.“Whatarethemainsecurityconcerns?EveryoneI’veseensofarhasbeenfocusedon
theirtasks.It’sobvioustheoutpostisrunbythemilitary.”

“Isthatacomplimentoraninsult?”
He flashed another charming smile and Emily wondered again why she wasn’t attracted to him. In

fact most of the Rodytes were handsome by Earth standards, and still she couldn’t get one bothersome
Bilarrianoutofhermind.

“It’sanobservation,”sheclarified.“Whenandwhydothebattlebornmisbehave?”
“There are four bars and three restaurants that serve alcohol on the commerce tiers. Combine an

intoxicant and boredom and any situation can become unruly. There have also been accusations of
shopliftinganddestructionofproperty.”

“Soyoubreakupfightsandarrestthieves.Havetherebeenanymoreseriouscrimessincetheoutpost

reopened?Anydangersthepotentialbridesneedtoknowabout?”

“Yousoundhopeful.”HelookedatLexieandasked,“Isshealwaysthisbloodthirsty?”
Lexielaughed.“Notalways,butshedoeshaveadarksideItrytoavoid.”
They’dworkedtheirwaybackaroundtothecommercetiers,whichwaswherethetourhadbegun.
“You have to remember that the real fun hasn’t started yet,” Dakar reminded. “Once the potential

matesstartarriving,Iexpectallsortsofdisruptionstoarise.”

“How will that work? How many females do you plan to recruit? Will there be some sort of

screening process before they’re shuttled up here. There are a lot of people who will volunteer for
anythingjusttovisitthemoon.”

“They’vealreadythoughtofthat,”Lexieassured.“Let’sgotooneoftherestaurantsandI’llexplain

theprocess.”

Dakarescortedthemtotherestaurant’sentrance,butdidn’tgoinside.“Ifyoudon’tmind,I’dliketo

takeafewminutesandcheckonmymen.Theteamsarestillnew.Ineedtostayontopofthem.”

“Ofcourse.”Lexiewavedhimonward.“We’llbefine.Takeaslongasyouneed.”
“Thisisreallysilly,”EmilymutteredasDakarwalkedaway.“Idon’tneedabodyguard.”
LexiejustsmiledandhookedherarmthroughEmily’s.“Itdoesn’tdoanygoodtocomplainaboutit.

Theyaren’tgoingtochangetherules.”

Asmilinghostessledthemtoatableinthebackcorneroftherestaurant.Herbasicshape,evenher

featuresappearedhuman,butherskinhadafaintgreencastthatremindedEmilyshewasn’tonEarth.

“Ihopethisisacceptable,”thehostesssaidinanurgentwhisper.“You’recausingenoughofastiras

itis.Shouldn’tyouhaveanescort?”

“SeniorEnforcerLuxwillreturnmomentarily,”Lexieassured.“Thatshouldsettlethemdown.”
Emilylookedaroundandfoundthehostess’sconcernwasjustified.Thediningroomwasfilledwith

largemuscularmales,mostinuniform,andeveryoneofthemwasstaringatLexieandher.“Goodlord,
don’ttheseguysevergetshoreleave?You’dthinkthey’dneverseenawomanbefore.”

“Manybattlebornsoldiersspendtheirentireadultlivesaboardoneshiporanother,”thehostesstold

her. “We might be the first females some of these guys have ever seen. This rebellion was a long time
coming.We’reallgladit’sfinallyhere.”Sheshookawayhertroubledthoughtsandrecapturedhersmile.
“Sowhatwouldyouliketodrink?”

LexietoldhertobringsomethingEmilydidn’trecognize.
“Theydon’tofferanythingmadeonEarthyet.You’llhavetotrustme.”
“That’swhyI’mhere,”Emilyreminded.“Sotellmeaboutthetransformationprogram.Whendoesit

officiallybegin?”

“They’vebeenacceptingapplicationsforseveralweeksnow,butthat’sasfarasthey’vegotten.”
EmilyknewAGNoxhadreleasedaseriesofrecordingsexplainingwhythebattlebornhadcometo

Earth,butshewasundertheimpressionthattheactualprogramhadyettobegin.“Theyaren’tgettingany
volunteers?”

“They’vegottenthousands,butonlytwopassedtheautomatedscreeningandbothweredisqualified

bythepsychevaluation.”

“Craziesandcriminals?”
Lexie’sresponsewasinterruptedbythehostessreturningwiththeirdrinks.“Yourwaitresswillbe

withyoushortly.”

“Thanks,” Lexie said, but immediately returned her attention to Emily. “Our job is to expand

awarenessoftheprogramandattractabetterclassofvolunteers.”

“HaveyouwatchedAGNox’smessages?”
Lexienoddedandreleasedasigh.“Themanmightbeanamazingmilitaryleader,buthismessages

weredryasdust,madetheentirethingsoundlikeascienceexperiment.”

“We can easily improve the delivery. Our exposés will definitely help and I know a PR firm that

caterstounusualclients.ButI’mstillworriedaboutthemessage.Nomatterhowwedressthisup,it’sa
mail-orderbridescheme.Mosthumanfemalesdon’taspiretobewivesandmothersanymore.”

Lexiebristledatthesummation.“Butit’ssomuchmorethanthat.It’sanopportunitytointeractwith

otherspecies,tolearnabouttheirculturesandbenefitfromtheirtechnology.BondingwithaRodytemale
also doubles the lifespan of most humans and makes the human faster, stronger, and healthier than they
werebeforethejoining.”

Emily stilled and trepidation crashed over her in icy waves. “They told you this or you’ve

experiencedit?DearGod,Lexie.AreyoualreadybondedwithKaden?Youjustmettheman!”

Lexie leaned in and lowered her voice, likely hoping Emily would do the same. “He’s not a man.

He’saRodytemale.ItoldyouthingsmovefastwithRodytes.”

“Butyou’renotRodyte.Howcouldyoulet…Dothepheromonesyoumentionedearliermuteyour

inhibitions?TheLexieIknowwouldneverletthishappen.”

“The Lexie you knew had never felt real love before,” Lexie countered. “Kaden is amazing. He

makes me happier than I ever dared to hope of being.” She shook her head and looked away. “It’s
somethingyouhavetoexperiencetounderstand.”

Emilyjustshookherhead,disbeliefandworryknittingherbrow.“Theybrainwashedyou.”
Before Lexie could respond to the accusation the waitress approached the table. Emily sat quietly

whileLexieorderedforbothofthem.Silenttensionovercamethemlongafterthewaitressleft.Emilyjust
staredatLexie,andLexietriedinvaintofindawaytoexplain.

“Iamnotbrainwashed.”Lexiefinallybrokethesilence.“BeingwithaRodyteisnotlikebeingwith

ahuman.Whenwejoinit’ssomuchmorethanphysical.Icansensehisthoughtsandfeelings.Thereisno
lying,nopretending.It’simpossibletodeceiveyourpartner.”

ThepastpulledatEmilywithinsidiousstrength.SheneverthoughtaboutMatthew,refusedtoallow

hismemorytoaffectherpresentinanyway.Atleastthatwaswhatshetoldherself.Butthefantasyworld
Lexie described contrasted so starkly with Emily’s experience of love that she felt shriveled and
forgotten.

“Menlie,”shewhispered.“Theyalwayslie.”
LexiereachedacrossthetableandgrabbedoneofEmily’shands.Emilysnatcheditaway.“Rodyte

malescan’tlietoyouoncethebondisformed.It’sphysicallyimpossible.”Afteraslighthesitation,she
added,“Ithinkit’sthesamewithBilarrians.”

“It doesn’t matter if it is or not.” Emily furiously blinked back tears. Hope, longing and frustration

twistedthroughherwithsuchoverwhelmingforcethatshecouldbarelycontaintheemotions.“Voxneeds
somuchmorethanIcouldevergivehim.It’snotfairto…Hedeservesbetter.”

AnotherloudsighescapedLexieasshecontinuedinatight,evenvoice.“Thesemenarenothuman,

Em.Theycanhavesexwithanyonetheydesire,butfindingamate,beingabletoformthesortofbond
KadenandIhave,israreandwonderful.IfVoxhadfoundageneticallycompatiblefemalebeforenow,he
wouldlikelybematedalready.”

“Beforenow?”Emilyscoffed.“What’sthatsupposedtomean?”
“I’ve seen the way Vox looks at you, how protective he became as soon as he met you. You’re his

mate,oryoucouldbeifyouallowhimtocourtyou.”

Emily shook her head, even as images filled her mind. She remembered his patient smile and the

smolderinghungerthatneverseemedtoleavehiseyes.“It’snotpossible.”

Lexiesimplyignoredherdenial.“You’respecialtohim,important.Youcangivehimthingsnoother

femalecan.”

“Idon’tthinkIcan,evenifIwantedto.”
“Doyouwantto?”
AhintofchallengerippledthroughhertonenowandEmilylookedintohereyes.“Idon’tknow.”She

lickedherlipsandfeltheatcrawlacrossherskin.Vox’simageintensifiedinhermind.“Maybe.”

Lexiebrokeoutinabeamingsmile.“Whydon’tweallhavedinnertogether,meandKaden,andyou

andVox.Ifyougivehimtheslightestencouragement,he’lldotherest.You’llsee.”

Morethanadecadeofpainheldherback,robbingherofwords,butshemanagedahesitantnod.
“Givemeasec.I’llcontactKadenandseeifhecankeepVoxfromheadingbacktoEarth.”Lexie’s

eyeswentvacantforamoment,thenherexcitedexpressionfell.“Damnit.”Shecameoutofthetrance
withasighandlookedatEmily.“We’retoolate.Kadenisn’tsurewhereVoxwent,buthe’sgone.”

Emily accepted the news with another nod, but inside she was dying. The fragile flicker of hope

sputteredoutplunginghersoulintodarknessonceagain.

ChapterSix

“You better have a damn good reason for summoning me,” Kage muttered as he released his

holographic disguise and returned his features to normal. “A spy’s value vanishes as soon as anyone
connectshimwithhishandler.”

“I have two very good reasons,” Rex countered, refusing to be bullied by a self-appointed

“overlord”.Kagewasanoutlaw,sameasRex.

Kage pulled off his heavy synth-leather gauntlets and draped them over one brawny shoulder. “I’m

listening.”

“IhaveinformationIbelievewillinterestyou,butIneedtoknowwhyIshouldentrustittosomeone

who’slyingtome?”

“WhatdidIlieabout?”Ratherthanangry,hesoundedamused,whichannoyedthehellsoutofRex.
“YoublamedyourneedforaspyonRaylon’smate,afemaleharbinger.NowIfindoutyoursecond-

in-commandisalsoaharbinger.Sowhydoyouneedme?”KagegrinnedandRexwantedtopunchhimin
theface.“I’mserious.Ifyouhavecontinualaccesstoapsychic,whyamIriskingmyass?”

Kagejustwavedawayhisconcern.“Whatdidyoufindout?”
“IfoundoutthatI’mnotinterestedinworkingwithyouafterall,”hesaidemphatically.
“Ifyousayso,butIfoundtheperfectshipforyou,sothatchoicewouldbetragic.”
BothofRex’shandsclenchedasheglaredatthetechnomage.“You’reonefrustratingbastard.”
“What did you find out?” All playfulness had left his expression and voice. “I don’t have a lot of

time.”

“AnswermyquestionandI’llansweryours,”Rexpersisted.
“Youdidn’taskaquestion.Youmadeanaccusation.”WhenRexcontinuedtoglare,Kageshrugged.

“My second-in-command is in a snit. He locked himself in his cabin and refuses to speak with anyone.
That’stheproblemwithharbingers.Themoretalentedtheyare,themoretemperamentaltheyare.Artonis
extremelytalented,whenhechoosestocooperate.”

Rex wasn’t sure he believed Kage. Once trust was broken, it took time to rebuild. Still, he’d been

intriguedbytheOutcastsforyears.Inoutlawcirclestheirsuccessanddaringwerelegendary.“Therebels
found an interdimensional portal. There are discrepancies when it comes to the exact location, but the
mostprobablesiteisunderthehydroponicsfarm.”

Eerie disembodied laughter sent a chill down Rex’s spine. With his breath frozen in his lungs, he

wrappedhisfingersaroundthegripofhispulsepistolandreleasedthesafetywithhisthumb.

“Itoldyouhe’dbetraythebattleborn.”Amaleharbingersteppedoutoftheshadowsandstoodnext

to Kage. The newcomer didn’t flash into view like someone who teleported or bio-streamed. He
graduallyappearedasifhe’dbeenstandingtheretheentiretime.“He’sanOutcastalready.”

Rexreleasedhispent-upbreathandmovedhishandoffhisweapon.“Arton,Ipresume?”Rexlooked

fromKagetothenewcomerandback,equallyannoyedbyeach.

“ArtonLux,myfirstofficer,”Kageintroduced.“MayIpresentCommanderRexDravon.”
Nearly as tall as Kage and equally muscular, Arton looked more like a battle born warrior than a

harbinger.Hissilverhairhadbeencutshortandsectionsdyedblacktofurtherconcealthenatureofhis
gifts.Hiseyes,however,werepureharbinger,smokyblueintensityringedinsilver.

“Canwedispensewiththebullshitnow?”Rexsnapped.“Whatdoyouwantwithme?”
Kage’smouthtwistedintoasardonicsmileasheglancedathisaccomplice.“PourusadrinkandI’ll

tellyouastory.Itinvolvesthismysteriousportal,sotrustme.You’llwanttohearit.”

PartofRexreallywantedtothrowthemoutontheirpresumptiveasses—oratleasttryto—butthe

more rational part needed to learn what this entire setup had been about. “Have a seat.” He grabbed a

bottleofg’hautoffhisdeskandpouredaliberalshotintotwoglasses.

“Youaren’tdrinking?”Artonraisedhiseyebrows,clearlydisapprovingofthedevelopment.
RexhandedeachOutcastaglassthentookaswigoffthebottle.“I’veonlygottwoglasses.The3D

printersareoffline.AsItoldyourboss,theMarauderisfallingapart.”

Kagestrolledtothetinytablewithitstwochairsandsat,hismassivebodythreateningtocollapse

thetubularchair.Artonsatontheother,leavingRexthesideofthebed.

“Iwasn’tlyingabouttheship,”Kagebegan.“I’vepickedoutavesselthatwillbeperfectforyou.

She’sjusttherightsize,fastaslightning,andshehassomeinterestingnewfeatures.”

Rexremainedintentlywatchful,notnearlyfoolishenoughtotakehimatfacevalue.“AndwhatwillI

giveupifIchoosetobarter?Youdon’tneedaspy,sowhyareyouhere?”

“I’mabouttobecomeveryunpopularatLunarNine,soI’mrecruitingasmanygoodsoldiersasIcan

whileIstillhaveaccesstothem.”

Rexfoughtbacktheurgetorollhiseyes.Morewordgames.“I’masmugglernotasoldier.”
“Soldiersneedsupplies,”Artonpointedout.“Yourskillswillbeincontinualdemandwherewe’re

going.”

“Whichis?”
BoththeOutcastsjustsmiled.
“WhyareyouabouttobecomesounpopularatLunarNine?”Rextriedtosoundboredandfailedso

hetookanotherswigofg’haut.

Ignoringhisquestion,Kagebeganhistale.“TheportalwasbuiltbyaspeciescalledtheEnvoti.They

alsoterraformedthecave,bytheway,butthecavecameaftertheportalnotbefore.”

Rexhadheardaboutthe“wondercave”buthadn’tgivenitmuchthought.HisinterestinLunarNine

beganandendedwiththetransformationprogram.Hedideverythinginhispowertoavoidpoliticsofany
kind.“GoodfortheEnvoti.Whatdoesthishavetodowithme?”

“Don’tberude.”Thoughhisvolumeneverchanged,Arton’stonetookonalethaledge.“He’strying

toexplainitforyou.”

Afteratensepause,Kagecontinued,“TheEnvoti,likethebattleborn,arelockedinaconflictthat

has dragged on for centuries. Their enemy comes and goes, leaving them in peace just long enough for
themtobelievethey’resafe,andtorebuild.Thentheenemyreturnsandtearsitalldownagain.”

Rexbitbackasarcasticresponse,remainingsilentinstead.
“TheEnvoticametotheconclusionthatrelocationwastheironlyoption,sotheyfranticallysearched

foraplanetormoonthattheycouldtransformintoahabitableworld.Theirearlysimulationsindictedthat
Earth’smoonwassuchaplace,sotheycreatedthewondercave.Butmorein-depthstudiesrevealedthat
transforming the moon would create catastrophic changes in Earth. The two are simply too dependent
uponeachother,sotheEnvotimovedon.”

Growingmoreimpatientbythemoment,Rexallowedhisirritationtoshow.“It’safascinatingstory,

butI’mstillnotsurewhatithastodowithme.”

Kagestartedtospeakthenshookhishead.“IthinkI’vesaidenoughfornow.”Hepushedtohisfeet,

toweringoverRexforamoment.“I’dlikeyouandyourcrewtojointheOutcasts.You’llknowfreedom
likeyou’veneverenjoyedbeforeandyou’llgainaccesstoatransformationprogramthatwon’trequire
lifelongsubmission.We’reabrotherhood.EachOutcastisequal.”

“Exceptforyou,ofcourse,”Artonpointedoutwithararesmile.
“Evenbrothersrequireguidance,butIofferchoicesratherthanissuingcommands.”
“If I betray the battle born, how will I gain access to the transformation program? Unless I’m

mistaken,they’retheonlygameintown.”

A secretive smile curved Kage’s lips and his ink-black eyes gleamed, their intensity all the more

hypnoticfortheirlackofphitons.Rexdidn’tknowKage’sexactorigin,butanyonefromtheirstarsystem

withouttheluminescentringsintheireyeswasrare.

“Do you honestly think beings who created the wonder cave can’t replicate the transformation

protocols?”Theseeminglysimplequestionwasfilledwithimportandinsinuation.

“You’reworkingwiththeEnvoti.That’swhyyou’llnolongerbewelcomeatLunarNine.”Questions

floodedRex’smind,buthisvisitorswereheadingforthedoor.“Wait!WhatdotheEnvotiwantifthey
can’tterraformthemoon?AretheyalreadyonEarthorthreateningtoreturn?Whyareyou—”

“Threedays,”Kagecutin.“Youhavethreedaystodecidewhichteamtojoin.Therealgamesare

abouttobegin.”

*****

ThenextweekpassedinaflurryofactivityandemotionalturmoilforEmily.She’dtoldVox,inno

uncertainterms,thatshedidn’twanthim,whichmeantshehadnorighttobeupsetthathe’ddoneasshe
asked.Itwasirrational,andyetherdepressiongrewwitheachpassinghour.

A mated member of Kaden’s crew—the only sort allowed to be alone with an unmated female—

shuttledEmilybacktoTanzania,soshecouldexplaintoLarryandStanwhereshe’dbeforthenextfew
weeks. There had been no disbelief or instinctive denials after they watched her climb down from the
smallspaceship with amassive battle bornrebel on her heels.They’d snapped outof their stupor long
enoughtohelpherpackuphercamerasandtheperipheralgearshe’dneedtofulfillherpromisetoLexie
andloaditontotheshuttle.

Emilyalsotookherpersonalitems,butleftherclothingbehind.LexiehadwarnedherthatRodytes

wereusedtoseeingfemalesinskirtsordresses.Iftheywantedthesoldierstofeelcomfortableenough
with them to speak freely, they needed to adhere to cultural norms. Emily found it all a little silly, like
theirinsistencethatshehaveanescorteverywhereshewent.Butsheagreedtogoshoppingassoonasshe
returnedtotheoutpost.Ithadbeenforeversincesheboughtnewclothes.Itmightactuallybefun.

AftergivingLarryandStanhugsandpromisingshe’ddoherbesttogetthempassesassoonasLunar

Ninewasopenforvisitors,sheclimbedaboardoneofthePhantomsandheadedbacktotheoutpost.The
entireerrandhadtakenlessthanthreehours.

SoonEarthwasgraduallyshrinkingonthemainviewscreenandEmily’sthoughtsturnedtoVox.Was

he still at Stargazer Ranch or had he gone home to Bilarri? Lexie insisted that genetically compatible
femaleswererare,thatsomeofthesemenwouldsearchtheirentirelivesandneverfindapotentialmate.
Thisdidn’tkeepthemfromhavingfulfillingsociallives.Theycouldformattachmentsandhavesexwith
other females, but claiming a mate was the ideal, the ultimate relationship for which all Rodytes, and
Bilarrians,longed.

AndshewasthattoVox.
Oratleastthepossibilityofthatsortofjoininghadbeenthereuntilshecoldlyrejectedhim.
Sheclosedhereyesandleanedthebackofherheadagainsttheseat.
“Areyouallright,MissJenson?”thepilotasked.
HisnamewasZartanorLortan,somethinglikethat.“I’mfine.Justtired.”
“Themiddle-facingseatsconvertintobenches.Youcanliedowncomfortably.”
“That’snotnecessary.Howmuchlongerwillittaketoreachtheoutpost?”
“Thirty-fiveorfortyminutes.”
Sheopenedhereyesandsmiledathim.“I’llbefine,butthanksforyourconcern.”
“Commander Lux is holding me personally responsible for your wellbeing. I’m not taking any

chances.”

The protectiveness woven through these societies was refreshing. She was a strong, independent

woman.However,beingpamperedonceinawhiledidn’tdenigrateheraccomplishments.

LexiewaswaitingontheconcoursewhenEmilyclimbeddownfromtheship.“Missmealready?”
Hercousinlaughed.“No,I’mjustanxioustogetstarted.IaskedRaylontoassignyouanapartment

andyou’vealreadyhadadelivery.”

“Adelivery?Whatsortofdelivery?”
“We’ll both find out when we get there, but we have shopping to do first.” She looped her arm

throughEmily’sandstartedofftowardthecommercetiers.“Thereareseveralclothingstoresopennow,
butlet’sstartwiththeoneIlikebest.”

“Ionlyhaveonequestion.”
Lexiesnorted.“Thathasgottobeafirst.”
Emilyshotheraplayfulglare.“HowdoIpayformychoices?”
“Haveyoubeentoacasinointhepastfiveyears?”
ItwasEmily’sturntolaugh.“I’veneverbeeninacasino.”
Lexiepausedandpivotedtowardher.“Seriously?”
“Yes.”Shesmiled,amusedbyhercousin’sshock.“Ijustneverunderstoodtheappeal.”
Lexie’sdisbeliefgraduallymellowed.“Aslongasyoutreatitlikeanyotherentertainmentanddon’t

expecttogetrich,gamblingcanbealotoffun.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Confused by the tangent, Emily started walking again. “Why did you

bringitup?”

“Oh,right.Money.Mostcasinosarecashlessnow.Youplaywithvouchersthatyoucanmovefrom

machinetomachine,orchipsifyou’reatthetables.Anyway,theshopsandrestaurantsonthetierswork
the same way. You can use a credit card or cash to buy universal credits and, if you don’t have a
commercechipimplantedinyourhand,they’llgiveyouatemporaryvoucher.”

“Mostofthealienshavethesecommercechips?”
“Theydo,butdon’tcallthemaliens.Theyfinditrude.Ifyoudon’tknowtheirplanetoforigin,ask.”
“Gotit.”
Shopping didn’t take long. Emily had never been one to care about fashion, so she quickly found

practicalgarmentsthatfitheradequately.EachtimeLexietriedtotalkherintosomethingmorestylish,
Emilywrinkledhernoseandpulledoutanothersturdyskirt.

“We’renotgoingtohikethroughthemountainsorgospelunking,”LexieobjectedwhenEmilyrefused

anotherattractivedress.“Whatifsomeoneinvitesyououttodinnerorofferstobuyyouadrink?”

“I’mnotheretofindaboyfriend.Thisiswork.”
Lexie returned the dress to the rack and crossed her arms over her chest. “What if Vox returns?”

Challengeraisedherchinandcompassionmadehereyesshine.

“He won’t. He can have any female he wants and I humiliated him.” She shook her head, throat

suddenlytight.“IfhereturnstoLunarNine,itwon’tbetoseeme.”

Lexiesighed.“Ithinkyourunderestimatingtheimportanceofbeingapossiblemate,butIdon’twant

toargueaboutit.”

“Good.”Shetookherselectionstothecashierandpaidforthemwiththevouchershe’dpurchasedat

thetenderconversionkiosk.

Theirmoodremainedsomber,strainedastheyleftthecommercetiers.
“Sowhere’smyapartment?”Sherefusedtospendthenextfewweeksbemoaningherhastydecision.

HerlifehadbeenfulfillingbeforeshemetVox,andshe’dbejustfineonceshereturnedtoEarth.Thiswas
anamusingintermission,afancifulbreakfromrealitythatwouldallowhertospendsometimewithher
favoritecousin.

“Allunmatedfemalesandbondedcouplesareassignedtoresidentialvillageone,oratleasttheones

whodon’thavelivingquartersaboardoneoftheships.”

“WheredoyouandKadenstay?”

Lexie’s smile was slightly sly. “He’s a commander, so he needs to be aboard his ship as often as

possible.”

Emilynodded,notwantingtoprytoodeeplyintohercousin’slovelife.“Andhowmanyvillagesare

there?”

“Ten. Merchants and their families are assigned to village two, medical personnel are allowed to

stayinvillagethreebecausetheIntrepidneverleavesport.Theothersarebeingremodeled.”

“Atonepointtenthousandpeoplelivedinsideourmoon?Thatbogglesthemind.”
“Ithinkitwasmorelikesevenoreight,butIknowwhatyoumean.”
Lexie led her to residential village one and they took an elevator to the highest level. The floor

indicators were in Rodyte and Emily didn’t care enough to count them. They stepped out into a
nondescriptcorridor.ItlookedsimilartocountlesshallwaysinapartmentbuildingsandhotelsonEarth.

“Afacialscannerwillverifyyouridentity,whichunlocksthedoor,”Lexieexplainedastheywalked

downthehall.“Youcanalsotriggerthedoorwithavoicecommandonceyou’reinside,butouthereyou
havetoprovewhoyouare.Voiceprintsaretooeasytoreplicate.”

“Whichoneismine?”
“Second door on the right. Try to memorize the symbol in case you get turned around. All of the

apartmentsonthisfloorareoccupied.”

Shewasn’tsureifshewascomfortedorunnervedbytheknowledge.“Butthedoorwillonlyopen

forme?”

“Absolutely.”
Shesawthescannerinactionafewsecondslater.Abluishbeamoflightpassedoverherfaceand

thensheheard,“Welcomehome,Ms.Jenson.”

“Youcanalterthegreetingtowhateveryoulike.Justtellthecomputerwhattosay.”
Unsurewhatshemeant,Emilyasked,“HowdoIdothat?”
“Say,computercallmecutiepiewheneverIwalkthroughthefrontdoor.”
Sherolledhereyes.“Asif.Computer,pleasecallmeEmilywheneverIwalkthroughthefrontdoor.”
Lexiechuckled.“Youdon’thavetosayplease,Em.It’samachine.”
Ignoring Lexie’s criticism, Emily looked around. The apartment was small by American standards,

yeteverythingwassleekandrounded,verydifferentfromanythingshe’sseenonEarth.Shecrossedthe
main living area, glanced into the small guest bathroom, then walked into the bedroom. The closet,
dresser,eventheheadboardandnightstandswerebuiltintothewalls,creatingarelaxingflowEmilyhad
neverseenbefore.Shepiledhershoppingbagsonthebed,pokedherheadintothemasterbathroom,then
returnedtothelivingroom.

“Ifoundyourdelivery,”Lexiecalledfromthekitchen,theonlyroomEmilyhadyettoenter.
Herpulsespedandsodidhersteps.Coulditbe…Sheslidtoastopinthearchwayseparatingthe

eat-inkitchenfromthelivingroom.Amassivebouquetofflowerswascenteredonthekitchentable,but
theywereunlikeanythingEmilyhadeverseenbefore.Eachbloomfannedoutfromthestemwithmulti-
colored,ripplingpetals.Eachpetalhadasimilarblendingofcolors,yettheshapewasunique.Adeep
purple streak followed the primary vein that seemed almost like a spine. The purple flowed into vivid
blue,brightyellowandfinallyanartisticblendingoforangeandred.

“Whatarethey?”Shecouldn’ttakehereyesoffthemesmerizingblooms.
“Bilarriancalidrillaccordingtothecard,”Lexietoldherwithawickedsmile.
“Bilarrian? They’re from Vox?” She crossed to the table in a daze and took the card from Lexie’s

hand.

Themessagewassimple,Theflowersarecalledcalidrill.Theygrowwildnearmyhome.I’dlove

toshowyousomedaysoon.Vox.

ShereadthewordstwicethenlookedatLexie.“Whatdoesthismean?Ishenotangryanymore?”

“Idon’tthinkhewaseverangry.Hewashurtthatyouwouldn’tevengivehimachance.Ithinkthat’s

whathe’saskingfor,achancetogettoknowyou.”

Tears blurred her vision and anguish welled inside her. “He doesn’t understand… You don’t even

knowwhyIpushpeopleaway.”

Lexiemovedcloser,herexpressioncompassionateyetcautious.“Iknow,Em.I’veknownforalong

time.”

“Youknow—everything?”
Lexienodded.
“Buthow?When?Inevertoldanyone.”
“Your mom broke down in front of Granma one night. They didn’t realize I was listening.” She

wrappedherarmsaroundEmilyandheldhertight.“I’msosorryyouwentthroughthatatall,butitbreaks
myhearttoknowyouwentthroughitalone.”Lexiesobbed.“Ishouldhavebeenthere.Ishould…”She
wascryingtoohardtogoon.

Emily stared off into the distance as silent tears ran down her face. She mourned for Rebecca, the

angelicbabywho’dneverreallyhadachancetolive,andshemournedforthelifeshe’dbeenpromised,a
lifeshe’dwantedwitheveryfiberofherlonelysoul.

“I named her Rebecca,” she whispered when she could finally speak. “You should have seen her,

Lex.Shewasperfect,butsotinyshedidn’tseemreal.”

Lexiewipedhereyesonthebackofherhandstillshakingwithemotion.“Youdon’thavetobealone.

Voxcangiveyouthesortoflifeyoualwayswanted,thatandsomuchmore.He’llloveyoulikeMatthew
never could, and he will never deceive you. Mates can’t lie to each other. The bond makes dishonesty
impossible. And your genetic compatibility means you can have children. I suspect he’ll want a big
family.Peopleinhispositionusuallydo.”

“Butwhywouldhewantme?”AfreshwaveofpaintorearaggedsobfromEmily’sthroat.“I’m…

broken.”

“You’rehurtandafraid,butyou’renotbroken.”ShefoundadishclothanddabbedatEmily’seyes.

“Justlethimloveyou.Atleastlethimtry.”

“I’mafraid.”Sayingitoutloudmadetheobstaclefeelalittlelessinsurmountable.
“Iknowyouare,andmoreimportantly,Voxknowsyouare.”
Emilytensedthentookastepback.“Whatdoyoumeanheknows?Howmuchdoesheknow?How

muchdidyoutellhim?”Angerburnedthroughhergrief,makingherfeelstronger,moreincontrol.“You
toldhimaboutMatthew?”

Atellingflushspreadacrossherfaceandslowlyshenodded.“I’msorry.”
“Andthebaby?”
Heronlyanswerwasanothernod.
Emilywalkedintothelivingroom,needingsomespace,needingthesilence.Lexiehadnorighttotell

him.Lexiehadnorighttoknow!Thepast—waspast,gone,unchangeable,sowhyallowittoruinthings
now?

Shetookadeepbreaththenanother,forcingemotionoutwitheachexhalation.
“Em,I—”
“Youneedtoleave,”shesnapped.Thenmoresoftly,“I’lltalktoyoulater.”Shedidn’tturnaround,

knewifshesawLexie’sstrickenfaceshe’dstartcryingalloveragain.

“Ireallyamsorry.Ihonestlythoughtitwouldhelp.”
EmilysaidnothingandLexiefinallyleft.
ForalongtimeEmilyjuststoodtherestunnedandmiserable.Herdarkestsecretwasout.Everyone

knewhowpatheticshe’dbeen,howweak,howdesperateforlove.Andapparently,shehadn’tlearneda
damnthingfromyearsofmisery.Heruselessheartwasready,eveneager,togetbrokenalloveragain.

ChapterSeven

Emilypressedbackintheconferenceroomchair,nervousbutterfliesflutteringinherstomach.She

satonLexie’sright,KadenwasonLexie’sleft.RaylonandaholographicimageofAGNoxsatacrossthe
tablefromthem.Shewasn’tsurewhytheapprovalofthebattlebornwassoimportant.Whenpushcame
to shove, they were a customer like any other. But she’d worked very hard with Lexie to do justice to
LunarNineandthebattlebornrebellionwhileremainingintriguingandthoughtprovokingtotheirtarget
demographic.

Lexie had arrived at Emily’s apartment bright and early the morning after their argument. They’d

calmlytalkedthroughtheissueandEmilyagreedtoputherhurtasideandfocusontheproject.Aftera
nice long cry and a good night’s sleep, she wasn’t really angry anymore. In the long run she hoped that
Lexie’s presumptive behavior would make it easier to work things out with Vox. Of course, that would
requireVoxtoallowsomesortofinteractivecommunication,andsofarhehadn’trespondedtoanyofher
attemptstocontacthim.

“RunvideotwoB,”Lexiesaidwithauthority,drawingEmilybacktothepresent.
Projecteddisplaysappeareddirectlyabovethetable,somesortofreflectorallowingthevideotobe

seenfromeitherside.Apanoramicviewofthespaceportgraduallyfilledthescreenasthenarrator—a
professionalvoiceactorprovidedbytheirproductionteaminNewYork—readthescriptsheandLexie
hadagonizedoverforthebetterpartofthepastweek.

“Areyoureadyfortheadventureofalifetime?”thenarratoraskedasthecameragraduallyzoomed

inonthemainentrance.“Throughthesedoorsawaitschallengesandrewardsyoucanonlyimagine.”

Amontageofsmilingfacesfollowed,allhandsome,dark-hairedmales.“WearecalledRodytesand

weneedyourhelp.”

Indigo,whomEmilymetearlierintheweek,walkedonscreen,multi-coloredhairswishingaround

hershoulders,andbrightblueeyesfilledwithmischief.“I’mIndigofromBoulder,Colorado,andIchose
tohelp.”

Raina,lookinglovelyyetveryscientificcamenext.“MynameisRaina.I’mfromMcLean,Virginia,

andI’mreallygladIcouldhelp.”

They’ddebatedlongandhardaboutwhetherornottouseLexieonscreen,butEmilywasthrilledthat

she’dwontheargument.Ofthethreeonscreenspokespersons,Lexiewasmostcomfortableinfrontofthe
camera.Shewasalsothemostrelatable.“Lexie,fromFt.Collins,Colorado,andInotonlyparticipated
intheprogram,I’mheretodocumenttheprocessandshareitwithallofyou.”Shewasalittlebitplayful,
butinformativeandcalm.“Ifyou’reafemalebetweentwentyandthirty-fivewithnoformalcommitments
keeping you on Earth, this opportunity might be right for you. We’re looking for intelligent, ambitious
volunteers that are ready for new situations and unusual challenges. If that sounds like you, go to the
website below, look over the detailed information, and then apply. Only the best and most compatible
applicantswillbeinterviewed,soconsidercarefullybeforetakingthefirststep.Ihopetoseeyousoon.”

The ending sequence was another montage of images from all over the outpost, gorgeous Rodyte

soldiersperformingavarietyoftasks.Thefinalimageshowedagrouplaughingaroundatableinoneof
the bars on the commerce tiers as the narrator said, “Lunar Nine, more than you ever imagined. The
opportunityofyourdreams.”

ThevideofinishedandEmilyheldherbreath,anxiousfor,yetterrifiedofthereaction.
“Thatwas…”Raylonlookedstunnedandcouldn’tseemtofindthewords.
“Brilliant,”Garindeclared.“Absolutelybrilliant.It’sunlikeanythingwewouldhavecomeupwith

onourown,butIcanseewhyhumanfemaleswillrespondtoit.”

This was the first time Emily had met—even if it was only by holo-com—Apex General Nox, but

she’dlikedhimimmediately.Itwaseasytounderstandwhyhehadconvincedsomanytojointhecausehe
championed.“Thankyou.”

“Therearethreeversions,”Lexietoldhim.“Onethat’sstrippeddownwithfewervisualeffectsand

anotherthat’sevenflashier.EmandIbothlikethisonebest.”

“Youhavetheadvantageoverus,”Garinsaidwithasmile.“You’rehumanfemales.”
“I’mnotsurethisisthedirectionwewanttogo,”Raylonobjected.“It’sso…slick,socommercial.

We’relookingforlifematesnotofferingvacationpackages.”

“Wehavetogettheirattention.”Emilydidn’tbackdown.“Mostofthedetailsarespelledoutonthe

website,manymorethanyou’veeverlistedbefore.Itshouldscareoffthesightseersand,hopefully,your
algorithmwillminimizethefraudsandcrazies.”

“Showittotheshipcommandersifyoumust,butithasmyfullapproval.Thankyou,ladies.Youdid

awonderfuljob.Ilookforwardtootherprojects.”ThenGarin’simageblinkedout,leavingRaylonalone
inhisdisapproval.

“We’renottryingtorecruitshipcommanders,”Kadenpointedout.“Weneedhumanfemalesandthis

isthesortofthingthey’reusedtoseeing.”

“I understand.” Raylon didn’t sound pleased, but resignation crept over his rugged features. “If my

wayhadworked,wewouldn’thaveneededthem.”Raylonranafingeraroundtheinsideofhiscollarthen
rolledhisshoulders.“Godsit’sbeenalongdayanditsonlyafternoon.”

Emilywassoelatedbythegeneral’sreactionthatshecouldn’tstopsmiling.Thetruetestwouldbein

howthefemalesofEarthreactedtothevideo,butshewasthrilledwiththeoutcomesofar.

“Fortherecord,Ireallylikedittoo,”Kadensaid,thenhelpedLexietoherfeet.“Ihaveonemore

stoptomake,thentherestofthedaybelongstoyou.”

“Promises,promises.”Lexieslungherarmaroundhiswaistastheyheadedforthedoor.“Loveya,

cuz.”ShewavedatEmily,butdidn’tturnaround.“I’lllettheNewYorkteamknowwe’reago.”

“Soundsgood,”Emilycalledthenrolledherchairbackfromthetable.
“Don’t let my reaction discourage you,” Raylon said, drawing her attention back to the stern

governor.“Theproductionwasveryprofessional.I’mjustusedtomoredirectformsofcommunication.”

Emilysmiled.“Youpreferdirectness?You?Surelynot.”
Raylonrewardedhereffortswithararesmile.“Sowhat’snext?”
She laughed as she stood. “I’m going to my apartment. I’ll kick off my shoes and enjoy a glass of

Bilarrianbloodwine.”

Hissmileturnedintoagrin.“Anyparticularreasonforthebeverage?”
“Aladynevertells.”
Shesmiledallthewaybacktotheresidentialzone.Thishadbeenthebestdaysinceshe’darrivedon

LunarNineelevendaysbefore.Sheenteredvillageoneandsteppedintothelift.Tensionwoundaround
herstomachastheelevatorascended.Thefeelingwasnowfamiliar.WouldVoxsendheranothergiftor
would he finally break his silence? Each gift had been thoughtful and unique. Her favorite was a
holographic carousel with colorful mythological creatures. She sat for hours watching it rotate and
listening to the unique calls of the lovelorn animals. The song it played was lilting, yet slightly sad,
perfectlyreflectinghermood.She’dsentresponseseachday,thankinghimforthegiftsandaskinghimto
comhersotheycouldinteract.Sofarhe’drefused.

Bythetimeshereachedthedoortoherapartment,herheartwaspounding.Wasthisadrenalineleft

overfromthemeetingorwasVoxwaitingontheothersideofthedoor.Hehadn’treturnedtoBilarri,as
she’dfeared.LexieaskedaroundandfoundoutthathewasatStargazerRanch,workingwiththenewly
transformed couples. Emily stepped closer then quickly backed up, unsure she could stand the
disappointment if he wasn’t there. The presents kept coming, but why wouldn’t he talk to her? Weren’t
femalessupposedtoplayhardtoget?

Hewasinthere.Instinctivelysheknewhewaswaiting.Eitherthatorshewasbeingrobbed.
Forcingawayheruncertainty,shemovedbeneaththescanner.
“Welcomehome,Emily.Youhaveavisitor.”
Shesteppedthroughthedoorway,butthatwasasfarasshemadeit.Voxstoodatthelargepicture

windowlookingoutovertheotherresidentialvillages.Onearmwasbentbehindhisbackandhisother
hand held a wineglass. He turned as she entered, looking relaxed and regal, and oh so at home in her
apartment.HeworewhatshehadlearnedweretraditionalBilarrianpants,braidedfromstripsofbrown
synth-leatherandathigh-lengthtunic.Thetunicwaslightgray,butthechestpanelandhemwasheavily
embroideredinsapphireblue.He’dneverlookedbetter,confidentandappealing.Itwasallshecoulddo
nottorunintohisarms.

“Iletmyselfin,”hesaidwithanunapologeticsmile.“Ihopeyoudon’tmind.”
“Idon’tmind.”Shecrossedtheroomasifinatrance,desperatetobenearhim.“Imissedyou.”
“Imissedyoutoo.”Hereachedoverandpickedupanotherglassofwinefromanearbytable.“Ileft

someforyou.”

Shetooktheglassandreturnedhissmile,thoughherheartwasstillpounding.“Thatwasgenerousof

you.”Shetookasip,buthardlynoticedthetaste.Allshecaredabout,allshewanted,wasVox.

“Icanbegenerous,butIcanbeveryselfish.I’mfeelingratherselfishrightnow.”Hesethisglass

asideandreachedforhersthoughshe’donlytakenonesip.

“Selfish?Inwhatway?”
Hepulledherintohisarms,hisgazefocusingonherlips.“Inwhateverwayforcesyoutospendtime

withmeandonlyme.”

“Thatisselfish.”
Hislipsbrushedhers,hisbreathwarmonhermouth.“Can’tsayIdidn’twarnyou.”
And then he was kissing her, slow and deep like he depended on her for life. His arms felt strong

aroundherandhismouthwastheperfectcombinationofpatienceanddemand.Theyclungtoeachother,
kissing and kissing, their lips fused, tongues gently dueling, breathing as one. She didn’t want to move,
wantedtostaythereforever,kissingthemansheloved.

Themansheloved?
The realization vibrated through her being like the reverberation of a massive gong. How had this

happened?Couldshereallybethisfoolishagain?

He moaned as he dragged his mouth from hers. “Gods, how I want you.” He gently pushed her to

arm’slength.“Wecan’tstayhereorI’lltakeyoutobed.”

Shelookedtowardthebedroomandherheartseemedtoflipoverinherchest.“MaybeIwant—”
“Notyet.Therearethingsyoumustknowbeforewejoin.”
Heat flamed her face and she turned her head, quickly averting her eyes. “Thanks to Lexie you

alreadyknowallmysecrets.”Andstillhewashere,obviouslyinterestedinher.

“Iknowwhataselfish,evilboydidtoyouandthepreciouslifelostbecauseofhischoices.”Hetook

herfacebetweenhishandsandguidedhergazebacktohis.“Iwouldkillhimforyouwerehenotalready
dead.Noonewilleverhurtyouagain.”

Shenodded,onthevergeoftears.
“Doesyourdaughterhaveaname?”
Speaking of her in the present tense filled Emily with joy. He wouldn’t deny her baby’s existence,

wouldn’tforcehertothinkofaninnocentlifeasifshewereshameful.“Rebecca.”

“On Bilarri after a person passes beyond, their loved ones gather to celebrate their life. Were you

ever allowed to celebrate Rebecca? I know her life was brief, but she lived, and lives still in your
memory.”

Tearsstreameddownherface,butshewasn’tsad.Theemberofhopeburstintoflameandwarmed

herfromwithin.

Hekissedherforeheadandshiftedhishandstohershoulders.“Whenyou’reready,andyou’vehad

time to think of what you want to say, I’ll make the arrangements of her elektraw, her continuation
ceremony.”

“Iwouldlovethat.”
He started to say something, then stopped himself, and his fierce expression gentled. “I know you

likedthecarousel.Wouldyouliketoseetherealone?”

“There’sarealone?”
“The souvenir I gave you is a miniature of a much larger carousel. It’s a popular attraction in a

gardennotfarfrommyhome.I’vearrangedforustohavethegardentoourselves.”

“Notfarfromyourhome?”Shepausedtoswallow.“YouwanttotakemetoBilarri?”
Heactuallylookedabitembarrassed.“Iknowyouhavelegitimatereasonstodoubtmyabilities,but

I’vebeeninundatedwithenergyoverthepastelevendays,frommultiple,extremelyconcentratedsources.
Iassureyou,Iamcompletelyrestoredandfunctioningatfullstrength.”

She wanted to trust him, needed to trust him, if their relationship was going to have any hope of

surviving.Still,thelasttimehe’dteleportedwithherthey’dendedupinthewildernessandnearlyfrozen
to death. Yet if it hadn’t been for his abilities, it was quite likely they would have died that night. She
reachedpasthimandpickedupherwineglass,takinganicelonggulp.“Didyouteleporthere?”

“Idid.I’vealsobeentoBilarriandbacktwicesinceourlittleadventure.Iwouldnotriskyoursafety

again.I’mprofoundlysorrythatIallowedmypridetoblindmethefirsttime.Itwillneverhappenagain.”

Hissinceritygraduallypenetratedheruncertainty.He’dadmittedafailingandaskedforforgiveness,

whichputhiminanentirelydifferentclassthanthemeninherpast.Areluctantsmileteasedthecorners
ofhermouth.HishumilitywasoneofmanythingsthatmadeVoxdifferentfromanyoneshe’deverknown
before.

Shetookanothersipofwine,thensettheglassaside.“Itrustyou.”
Hesmiledandtookherhand,gentlypullingherbackintohisarms.“Icanfocusonspeedandwe’ll

bethereintheblinkofaneye,orIcanconcentrateonmakingtherideassmoothaspossible.”

“I’dratherhaveitoverquickly,atleastthisfirsttime.”
Hechuckled.“Isuddenlyfeellikewe’retalkingaboutsomethingelse.”
She smiled in return, but was unable to respond as the air was sucked from her lungs. In a blur of

motion, his arms locked around her and their surroundings disappeared. The dizzying thrust of
acceleration propelled her into utter nothingness, but the blackness lasted less than a second before the
accelerationhitagain.Whenitwasover,theystoodinagardenunlikeanyshe’dseenbefore.

Aspicy,sweetfragranceteasedhernoseastherestofhersensesacclimated.Sherestedhercheek

against his chest, so hungry for his nearness that nothing else mattered. Then a musical trill drew her
attentionandshelookedupintimetoseeacolorfulbirdarcacrossthelavendersky.

Awedbythespectacle,sheeasedawayfromVoxandturnedaround.Stonepathswendedtheirway

through trees and sculpted flowerbeds. A gentle breeze, scented by the flowers, wafted against Emily’s
cheekandwhisperedthroughherunboundhair.Blossomsofeverycolorcombination,somearrangedin
neatrows,othersleftingracefuldisorderthoughcontainedwithindecorativebeds.

“Thisisamazing.”Anothertrillingcalldrewhergazebacktothesky.Therewasadefinitepurple

tingetotheentireexpanse,butonlythehorizonwasthestunninglavendercolor.Bilarri’ssunwaslarger
thanEarth’s,yetthewarmthfeltlessintense.AnobjectslightlysmallerthanEarth’smoonalsohunginthe
sky.“Isthatamoonoraplanet?”

“That,mylove,isRodymia.Ontariese,thethirdinhabitedworldinthisstarsystem,isn’tvisiblewith

thenakedeye.”

“I’m on another planet.” She shook her head, barely able to comprehend her own words. “I’m

actuallyonanotherplanet.”

“Wouldyouliketoseemoreofthegarden,orgoridethecarousel?”
“I’dlovetoseemoreofthegarden.Canweendwiththecarousel?”
Fiercedeterminationflashedinhisdarkeyes.“Wewillneverend,ifIhaveanythingtosayaboutit.”
“Relax.” She reached over and threaded her fingers in between his. “I won’t shut you out again. I

promise.”

“Thishasbeenthelongestweekofmylife.”Hecaughtthebackofherneckwithhisfreehandand

pausedforanintensekiss.“I’veneverbeensomiserable.”

“I’msorryIsentyouaway.”Shekissedhim,herattemptmuchmorehesitantthanhis.“Iwasafraid.”

Thenshewhispered,“I’mstillafraid.”

Hishandshiftedtothesideofherneckandhestrokedherfacewithhisthumb.“Iwillnevergiveyou

areasontofearme,ortoregretthissecondchance.”

Shewasn’tsurethiswasasecondchance.She’dneverreallygivenhimafirstchance,buttheywere

togethernowandthatwasallthatmattered.

Theymeanderedalongonepathafteranother.Shequicklyspottedalargedisplayoftheflowershe’d

senther.“Apparently,I’mnottheonlyonewhothinksthey’rebeautiful.”

“CalidrillareverypopularintheFireIslands,asortofregionalemblem.”Hepausedforasecond

andanoddtensioncreptintohistone.“Theflowerfeaturesprominentlyintheroyalfamily’sseal.”

“IsyourroyalfamilypopularliketheyareinEngland?Evenmanyinmycountryarefascinatedby

England’sroyalfamily,butthenwestartedoutasanEnglishcolony.”

“The treatment is very similar, though Bilarri’s regional kings are actual rulers. They are each the

ultimateauthorityintheirregion.”

“HaveyouevermettheFireIsland’sking?”
Asecretivesmilepartedhislipsandhequicklylookedaway.“Manytimes.”
He’dalreadytoldherhisfamilywasrich,no,veryrich.Thisshouldn’tsurpriseher.Still,itmadeher

faintlyuncomfortableandshewasn’tsurewhy.“YousaidtherewerethingsIneededtoknowbeforewe
couldbetogether.Whatdidyoumean?”

“Let’sfinishourtour.There’splentyoftimeforallthat.”
His evasion disappointed her, but she didn’t argue. They continued along the path, but all the

splendor began to blur. There were enormous flowers and tiny flowers, plants that responded to sharp
noises,andevenaclusteroforangebloomsthatsoundedlikeviolinswhenthewindstirredtheirdelicate
petals.Heprovidednamesandbackgroundswhensheaskedandallowedhersilencewhenshebecame
reflective.Itwasobvioushewastryingnottorushher,butshegrewprogressivelymorerestlessasthe
tourcontinued.

Sheheardthecarousel’sfamiliarsongastheymovedbeneathanarchwayofgnarledbranches.“Are

thesetreesstillalive?”Theeffectwasalmostspookyastheintertwiningbranchesbecamesothickthey
blockedoutthesunlight.

“They’re petrified. They were here when the developers bought the land and they didn’t have the

hearttoremovethem.”

“I’mgladtheydidn’t.They’restrangelybeautiful.”
Theyemergedfromthetreetunnelintoanenchantedwonderland.Thegardenspreadoutinconcentric

rings around the carousel. The outer ring was a twelve-foot hedge and each of the inner rings featured
flowersofadifferentcolor,creatingaliving,fresh-smellingcircularrainbow.

Andthentherewasthecarousel.Thebasicdesignoftheminiaturewasidenticaltotherealthing,but

thecreatureswerestaticonthesouvenir,ratherthanfullyanimatedliketheonesbeforehernow.“Ohmy
God,”shewhispered.“It’ssobeautiful.”

“Do you want to ride it or just admire the artistry?” He gently squeezed her hand when she didn’t

answer.

“Idon’tthinkIcanmove.”
“Thenlet’ssitandyoucansoakitin.”
Heledhertooneofthestonebenchessurroundingthecarousel.Sheleftherhandinhisandfollowed

his advice, soaking everything in with all her senses. She felt as if she were lost in a vivid dream,
everythingwaspictureperfectandsurreal.

Afteratimeofcompanionablesilence,sheaskedthenamesofthecreatures.Voxpatientlyindulged

hercuriosity,tellinghernotonlytheirnamesbutabriefsummaryofthemythsfromwhichtheycame.“My
favoriteistheArorrak.Theonethatlookssortoflikeashaggylion.”Hepointeditoutasitcameinto
view.“Hewasriddenintobattlebymyfavoriteheroindefenseofthefemaleheloves.”

Shelookedathimandsmiled.“You’rearomantic.”
Helaughed.“Heisfatallywoundedduringthebattleanddiesinherarms.I’mnotsurethatqualifies

asromantic.”

“Ofcourseitdoes.Someofthebest-lovedromancesonEarthendtragically.”
“Well,I’mhopingforamuchdifferentending.Somethingmorelikemyparents.Thiscarouselwas

createdinhonoroftheirfiftiethjoinedyear.Theotherthreeguildmasters,inanunprecedentedshowof
cooperation,combinedtheirskillstobringthecreaturestolife.”

“Yourparentshavebeenmarriedforfiftyyears?”Justhowoldwerethey?Forthatmatter,howold

was he? She needed to take one issue at a time if she hoped to understand everything, so she left the
questionsunspoken.

Hissmilewasgentle,encouraging.“Bilarriansmateforlife.That’swhatIwantforus,whatIneed.

Youunderstandthat,don’tyou?”

“Lexiethinkswe’regeneticallycompatible.Issheright?”
“Mostdefinitely.”Suddenlyhisexpressiontensed.Helookedintenselyannoyedandthensighed.“We

haveavisitor.I’dsendhimaway,butheinsiststhatit’svitallyimportant.”

Without further warning a Bilarrian male materialized in front of them. “I apologize for the

interruption,butthiswillsavemeatriptoEarth.”

Vox dipped his head respectfully as he stood to make the introductions. “This is Lord Drakkin of

Hautell,DirectoroftheSymposium.Andthisismyintendedmate,EmilyJensonofEarth.”

Emilywasn’tsureifsheshouldstandorofferherhandorwhat,soshejustsmiled.“It’sveryniceto

meet you.” The director was handsome, in a Renaissance Fair sort of way. His hair was long and a
sectionwasbraidedononesideofhisface.TheredringsinhisdarkeyeswereevenbrighterthanVox’s
andthe“whites”ofhiseyeshadatingeofblue.

Hetookherhandandraisedittohislipsashebentfromthewaist.“Milady,”hesaidwithagrinthat

madeherwonderwhathefoundsoamusing.“Whatbringestthouuntoourhumbleworld?”

Vox broke out laughing. “You can’t blame her, sir. You would look right at home at a Renaissance

Fair.”

Emilyfelthereyeswiden.“DidIsaythatoutloud?”Orcouldtheybothreadminds?
“Humansbroadcastwhentheiremotionsareoverwhelmed,”Drakkinexplained,stilllookingamused.

“I’msorryImockedyou.Thatwasunkind.”

“She’sneverbeenoffherplanetbefore.”
“Few humans have.” In a flash his amusement vanished and his angular features fell into stern,

authoritativelines.“ThisisnotwhyIstoppedby.Yourfatheraskedmetolookintosomethingforhim.I
presumetheinquiryactuallycamefromyou.”

“Itdid.”
Emily watched the exchange, still reeling from Drakkin’s revelation. Just how often had she

“broadcast”herthoughtstoVox?Couldhealsosenseemotion?

“MayIspeakfreely?”Drakkinglancedmeaningfullyather.
“Ofcourse.IhavenosecretsfromEmily.”
Shefoundtheconceptmorecomfortingthananythingelseintheworld…makethattheuniverse.
“I only found one odd entry that might or might not pertain to your mysterious portal. It involves a

raceofbeingsknownastheEnvoti.”

“I’veneverheardofthembefore.”
“NeitherhadI,whichissayingalot.Theentrywasmadelongbeforemytime,whichisalsosayinga

lot. It was quite cryptic and not at all specific. It mentioned that the Envoti command the power of
creation.”

“Soinhumanterms,theycanterraformworlds?”
Drakkinnodded.“Ibelievethatiswhattheentrymeans.”
“Diditsayanythingelse?”
“Justthattheyaredeceiversandtobeavoidedatallcosts.Warningssuchasthisarenotenteredinto

theWisdomoftheAgesunlesstheyarejustified.Ihighlysuggestthatthebattleborndestroytheportalas
soonaspossible.Infact,itmightbewisetosealupthecave.Itisnotunheardoftoweaponizeflora.They
mighthavestumbledontoadormantarmory.”

“I’llpassontherecommendation.”
“I understand that you are courting, but you need to make the report in person and ensure that they

followthrough.”

“Yes,sir.”Voxrelentedwithasigh.“I’lltakecareofit.”
“I know you will.” He glanced at Emily again, then smiled at Vox. “Does your father know about

Emily?”

“Notyet,andI’dappreciateitifyoudidn’ttellhim.”
“As you wish.” He faced Emily and swept into a courtly bow. “Until we meet again.” Then

disappeared.

Emilyshookherhead,notatallsurewhattomakeoftheirvisitor.“CanallBilarriansteleport?”
“No,mylove.You’vejustmetthemostpowerfulpersononBilarri.LordDrakkinisoneofonlysix

Bilarrianswhocancommandallfourelements.Hisabilitiesarestaggering.”

She’dseenasmallfractionofwhatVoxcoulddowithcommandofonlytwo.“Doesn’titterrifyyou

toknowthatonepersoncancommandthatmuchpower?”

“Drakkinishonorable.Hehasprovenitoverandoverduringthelongcenturiesofhislife.”
“Centuries?Goodlord,howoldishe?”
Voxlaughed.“Idon’tknowhisexactage,butheisold.”
TheyhadtoreturntoEarthandshedidn’twanttogo.“Atleasthestillhasasenseofhumor.I’msure

that’shardwithalifethatlong.”ShestoodandsidesteppedVoxasshewanderedclosertothecarousel.
Asifoncue,themusicfadedandtherotationslowlystopped.“Dowereallyhavetogoback?”

“I can summon guards and leave you here while I speak with Raylon, but I’d worry about you the

entiretimeIwasgone.”

Sheturnedaroundandglaredathim.“Youdon’ttrustmetostayputuntilyougetback?Whywould

youneedtosummonguards?”

“Because you’re not leaving my sight until I have claimed you and can sense your wellbeing. I’m

nevergoingtobewithoutyouagain.”

Thepossessivenessinhistoneshouldhaveterrifiedher.Insteadshefeltwarmandprotected,secure

asshe’dneverfeltbefore.“Thentellmeyourhorriblesecret,soyoucanclaimmetonight.”

Hesuckedinhisbreath,eyeswidewithwonder.“Doyoumeanit?Doyouacceptmyclaim?”
Shestartedtosayshedid,thentrepidationbathedherbeing.“IfIsayyes,arewemarried?”
He held out his hand and smiled, affection warming his eyes. “More like engaged. Our union is

sealedwhenIactuallyclaimyou.”

“Ican’tbelieveI’mevenconsideringthis.”Sheplacedherhandonhisandlethimpullherintohis

arms.

“I’llaskagainafterwe’vespokenwithRaylon.”
ItwastheonlywarningshegotbeforeheteleportedthembacktoEarth.

ChapterEight

VoxwatchedemotionsscrollacrossRaylon’sexpressionwithnearlycomicclarity.Anger,thenfear,

andfinallysteelyresignation.

“Noonewillargueaboutsealingtheportal,”thegovernorfinallysaid,“buttheresearchersaregoing

tokillmeifIdestroythatcave.They’vebeenlikechildrensetfreeinacandystore.”

“LordDrakkinwasemphaticabouttheportal.Thecavewasmoreofasuggestion.However,hedid

mentionweaponizedplants.I’veneverheardofsuchathing,butthisisDrakkin.”

“I’venevermetthedirector,butI’veheardhe’simpressive.”
“He’sasmartass,”EmilymutteredunderherbreathandVoxshotheraconspirator’ssmile.Shewas

right.Drakkinhadawickedsenseofhumor,butmostonlymetthesterndirector.

“Do I have your word that you’ll destroy the portal?” Vox persisted. “I promised Lord Drakkin I

wouldensureitwasdone.”

Raylon pushed back from his desk and stood. “I’m headed there now. What was the name of the

speciesagain?IwanttoseeifChandarcangetmeanymoreinformationaboutthem.”

“TheEnvoti.”
“Gotit.ThankyouandpassonmyappreciationtoLordDrakkin.Iknowhebumpedustothefrontof

theline.”

They followed Raylon out into the corridor, then Vox drew Emily to a stop as Raylon strode off

towardtheelevators.“Wherewouldyouliketospendthenight?Wecangotoyourapartment,butIlived
inoneoftheresidentialvillagesforseveralweeks.Iknowhowtinytheapartmentsare.Wecanreturnto
mycabinatStargazerRanch.”Hepausedandtookadeepbreath.“OrIcantakeyoutomyhome.”

Shehesitated,emotionsbroadcastingineasilyinterpretedwaves.Shewascuriousaboutthelifehe

led back home, but unsure if she was ready to give up everything she’d ever known. “I want to go to
StargazerRanch.IneedourfirstnighttogethertobeonEarth.”

He smiled, disappointed, but not surprised. “Stargazer Ranch it is.” They’d made miraculous

progresstoday.Evenwiththeinterruption.Hehadtobecarefulnottopush,nottoexpectmorethanshe
wasreadytogive.

She squeezed her eyes shut then pressed her face against his chest, clearly dreading another

teleportation.ThedistancefromthemoontoColoradowasastone’sthrowcomparedtotheirlastjump.
Sowithasuddensurgeofenergy,hesentthemtotheirdestination.

Theymaterializedinhisbedroomandhepulledbackthecoverswithawaveofhishand.
Shegaspedthensmiled.“Showoff.”
Unabletoresistthetemptationofhermouthamomentlonger,heshiftedherheadintothecrookofhis

arm and kissed her slowly, deeply. “I have waited for you my entire life.” He kissed her again, more
intensely,tastingherthoroughly.“IamsogladLexieaskedformyhelprecruitingyou.”

Emilytuggedhistunicupalonghisbody.“Idreamedaboutthiseverynightwhileyouweregone.”
Hetorethetunicoff,thenpaused.“Wehavetotalkbeforewedothis.”
“We’lltalkafter,”sheargued,franticallyunbuttoningherblouse.“Ineedyounow.”
Desire stabbed through him like fire, but he refused to give in to the demands of his body. “I

promised—”

Shesilencedhimwithhermouth.“After,”sheinsistedagainsthislipsandVoxwaslost.
He’dwaitedtoolongandneededthistoobadlytoholdbackthetide.Hetoedoffhisboots,unableto

stopkissingher.Togethertheyridhimofhispantsandherskirtobligedassoonassheloosedtheside
fastener.Hersoft,warmbreastspressedagainsthischestandhegroanedintoheropenmouth.

They tumbled to the bed together in a flurry of greedy hands and tangled legs. He let her explore

whilehekissedher,contentjusttodrowninhertaste.Buthishandsbegantowander,cuppingherbreasts
assherubbedagainsthim.Iftheydidn’tslowdown,thiswouldbeoverbeforeeitherofthemknewwhat
happened.

Hesweptherbeneathhimandpinnedherarmstothebedaboveherhead.Herprotestwasmuffledby

hismouthashesettledbetweenherthighs.Controllingherwastheonlywayhehadanyhopeofregaining
controlhimself.Joiningwithherwasinevitable.Hishungerforherwouldnotbedenied.Buthewould
notclaimheruntilsheknewhewouldonedaybeking.

Carefullygraspingherwriststosecureherarms,hekissedhiswaydownherneck.“Don’tteaseme,

Vox.I’veachedtohaveyouinsidemeforweeks.”

He chuckled and caught one tender nipple between his teeth. “We haven’t known each other for

weeks,onlytwelvedays.”

Shestilled.“Goodlord,that’sright.I’msuchafloozy.”
“You’remyfloozy.”Hesuckedonthenippleuntilshemoaned,thenwentrightonsucking.Shewas

as delicious, and as wonderfully responsive, as he’d known she would be. “It might have been a
whirlwindcourtship,butIwillloveyoufortherestofmylife.Likelylongerifsuchthingsareallowedin
the next dimension.” She trembled beneath his lips and he lifted his head so he could look at her face.
“What’swrong?Whyareyoucrying?”

“Iloveyoutoo,andIdon’twantto.Lovelikethisalwaysleadstopain.”
Heshotbackupandkissedher,revealinghisdevotionwitheachstrokeofhistongue.“Iwillnever

hurtyou.”Hekissedheragain.“Iwillkillanyonewhodoesanythingtoharmyou.”

Sheshookherhead.“Idon’twantanyone’sdeathonmyconscience.Protectmetothebestofyour

ability.That’senough.”

Heunderstoodherposition,buthisfierceBilarrianheartdemandedmore.Still,hewasn’taboutto

argueaboutretributionwhileshewasnakedbeneathhim.“NowwherewasI?”heaskedwithawicked
smileandshelaughed.

Heretracedhispathandresumedhisdiscoveryofherlovelybreasts.Shearchedintohiscaresses

and sighed as the attention went on and on. She grew restless, undulating softly, drawing his attention
lower.

Happy to oblige her, he slid his hands to her upper arms as he slid farther down her body. He

featheredkissesacrossherabdomen,thenringedhernavelwithhistongue.Hequicklyshiftedherlegs
overhisshouldersthencoveredbothbreastswithhispalms.

Shewhimperedashepausedtolookatherandimprintthescentofherarousalinhismind.Thenhe

covered her with his mouth and traced her slit with the tip of his tongue. She moaned, stilling as she
waitedforhisnextmove.

He licked her again, delving deeper, collecting her taste on his tongue. Mine. His being cried,

wantingmore,wantingallofher.Heventureddeeperstill,findingherclitandlingeringoverthesensitive
spot. She began to move again, rolling her hips and groaning. He took his time, arousing her slowly,
savoringeachgaspandshiver.

“Please,Vox.”Sheliftedintohiskiss,pushingherselfontohistongue.
Needstabbedthroughhim,drivingrationalthoughtsfromhismind.Hesurgedupoverher,legsstill

drapedoverhisshoulders,andfoundherentrancewithhiscock.

“Do you accept my claim?” You can’t claim her! But he had to hear the words, had to know she

wouldallowhisclaimthenexttimetheirbodiesjoined.

“Yes.”Shestaredintohiseyes,surrendered,yetstillafraid.
Heheldhimselfbackthroughsheerforceofwillandenteredherslowly,givingherbodyplentyof

timetoadjusttotheinvasion.Whenhisentirelengthwassurroundedbyherheat,heshiftedhisshoulders
andherlegsslippeddowntohiselbows.“Youaremine,andIamyours.”

Hepullednearlyoutthenthrustbackin,fillingherwithoneforcefulmove.
Shegaspedthenwhimpered.“Iamyoursandyouaremine.”
He didn’t question how she’d known the proper response only thrilled to finally hear the sacred

words. Her hands framed his face and pulled him down for a kiss as his hips began to rock. He’d had
loversbefore,butthiswassoprofoundlydifferentthatitdefiedcomparison.Hemovedoverherandinto
her, savoring each silken slide and breathy moan. Her hardened nipples teased his chest and her hands
tangled in his hair. She kissed him just as fiercely as he was kissing her. It was consuming and
overwhelming.

Suddenly her emotions flowed directly into his mind. His eyes flew open and he tensed. Only a

matingbondwouldprovidehimthissortofaccess.“No,”hewhispered.He’dfailedtoprotectherfrom
himself.Hisspirithadstakedhisclaimevenashismindrefusedtobetrayher.

Mercifully,sheseemedtobelostinpassion,oblivioustotheconflictconsuminghim.
Pulling back from the fragile link, he shut himself off from the connection. If he failed to feed it

energy it would remain weak and temporary. He mourned the loss as he sped his thrusts. Angry yet in
ecstasy. He concentrated entirely on the physical act, rapidly nearing completion. Still the pleasure felt
hollownow.Hewantedatruespiritualjoiningwithhismate.

He thrust one last time and spilled his seed deep inside her. She shuddered, her inner muscles

ripplingwithenoughforcetoassurehimshehadalsofoundrelease.

“Wheredidyougo?”Sheopenedhereyes,lookingdazedandunsure.“ForjustasecondIcouldfeel

youinsidemyheadandthen…Itwaslikeyouslammedthedoorinmyface.”

Hesighedandcarefullyseparatedtheirbodies,thenrolledtoherside.“IpromisedIwouldn’tclaim

youuntilyoukneweverything.Iwasunabletokeepmypromise,atleastnotentirely.”

Sherolledtohersideandproppedherheadonherhand.“Whatthehelldoesthatmean?”
“Iclaimedyou,buttheconnectionissofragile,Iwillbeabletodestroyitifyounolongerwanttobe

mymate.”

Fear washed over Emily in an icy wave. She sat up and dragged the sheet up to cover her naked

body.“Whywouldn’tIwanttobewithyou?Whatisthishorriblesecret?”

Hesataswell,shiftingonthebedsohecouldfaceher.“Mostwouldnotconsiderithorrible,butI

fearyouwill.”

Shescowled.“NowIthinkI’minsulted.Justspititout.”
“MyfatherisMasterFire.Heisthemostpowerfulpersoninourregion.”
“I’m not horrified yet, so what else?” He tried to touch her, but she batted his hand away. “No

secrets,remember.Lexietoldmethatit’simpossibleoncewe’remated,solet’sgetthisoverwith.”

“Myuncleisthecurrentregionalking,butmyfatheristhetrueruleroftheFireIslands.”
She was trying to understand the significance, but America had no kings, much less guild masters.

“SoyouwillbeMasterFirewhenyourfatherdies?”

Heshookhishead.“Guildmasterisanearnedposition.ThatwouldonlyhappenifIprovedmyself

strongerthananyoneelseintheFireIslands.Iwillbecomeregionalkingassoonasmyfatherdecidesthat
Iamreadytoruleathisside.”

“Thenyouruncleisasortofplaceholder?Thatseemscruel.”
“It’samuchhigherhonorthanmostyoungersonsaregiven.Myfathercouldhavemademekingand

designatedhimselfasmyregent,ineffectmakinghimselfbothkingandguildmaster.It’swhatmostofthe
otherregionalkingswouldhavedone.”

Sheshookherhead,hermindsuddenlytakingherbacktotheirwildernessadventure.“Yousaidyou

werecrownsomethingthenmadeupsomelame-assexcuse.You’rethefreakingcrownprinceofBilarri,
aren’tyou?”

“IamcrownprinceoftheFireIslands,nottheentireplanet.”
She crawled off the side of the bed, dragging the sheet with her as she went. “Do you live in a

palace?”

“Ihavedesignatedroomsinallfouroftheroyalpalaces,butIprefermyownresidence.”
Shecouldn’tdecideifsheneededtolaughorcry.Thiscouldn’tbehappening.She’dfalleninlove

withagoddamprince.Hewasright.Mostwomenwouldbethrilledbythisnews,yetthesortoflifeled
byaprincesswouldbetortureforher.“IsthereaBilarrianversionofthepaparazzi?”

“We demand more respect from our journalists, but there is a great deal of public interest in our

lives.Besides,everymemberoftheroyalfamilycanteleport,soreportershaveahardtimekeepingup.”

Sheglaredathim.“Thisisn’tfunny.I’mnotsureIcanlivelikethat.”
Hisexpressionfellandhenodded.“ThenIwilldissolvethelink.”
“Idon’twantthat.”Shethrewupherhandsandlostthesheetintheprocess.“Idon’tknowwhatI

want.”

He moved so fast his image blurred. Suddenly she was in his arms and her face was buried in the

warmthofhisneck.“We’llkeepitsimple,Ipromise.You’renotobligatedtomakepublicappearances.
Wecanexplainthat—”

“ThatI’materrifiedfreakfromanotherplanet?Thatwon’treflectverywellonEarth.”
Sheheardlaughterinhisvoice,buthiswordsweregentle.“I’llprotectyouinanywayIcan.”
“WillyougiveupyourkingdomformeandlivelikeIdoonEarth?”Shegrinnedagainsthisneck,but

hetensed,clearlynotrealizingshewasjoking.

“Ifthatistheonlywayyouwillhaveme.”
Shocked to the marrow of her bones, she pushed back and looked into his eyes. “Do you mean it?

You’llgiveitallupforme?”

He opened the link, allowing her to feel how much he loved her and how important her happiness

wastohim.Itbrokehishearttomaketheconcession,buthemeanteverywordashesaid,“Yes.Iwill
giveitallupforyou.”

Suddenly feeling cruel and petty, she forced herself to smile. “Then it’s a damn good thing I’m not

thatselfish,isn’tit?”

Hiseyeswidenedandjoyrippledthroughhisspirit.“Truly?You’llbemyqueen?”
Shelaughedandslappedhimlightlyonthechest.“Letmegetusedtoprincess.I’llhavetoeaseinto

theideaofbeingaqueen.”

“Takeallthetimeyouneed.”Heclaimedhermouthinalingeringkiss,thenwhispered,“Wehavethe

restofourlivestoworkthingsout.”

Heliftedherintohisarmsandplacedherbackinthemiddleofthebed.Sheheldoutherarms,eager

forthecompletejoininghe’ddeniedthem.Hecrawledontopofherandshebentherlegs,openingher
bodytowelcomehis.Therewasnoneedforforeplay,orwords.Theywerebothdesperateforadeeper
melding.

Hepushedintoher,fillingheruntilshegasped.Ithadbeenyearssinceshe’dbeenwithanyone,but

Voxwasalsolargerthan—

“There is no one but me,” he said, sternly pulling back then thrusting hard. “Never think of them

again.”

“Thinkofwho?”Shesmiledintohiseyes.“Thereisonlyyou.”
Herockedbetweenherthighs,butkepthiselbowslocked,holdingmostofhisweightonhisforearms

andknees.“Comedownhere.”Shepulledonhisshoulders.“Ineedtofeelallofyou.”

Hecoveredher,pressingherdownintothebedashisshaftfilledheroverandover.Theirmouths

meshed,tonguessliding.Sheclutchedhisbackwithherhandsandherheels.

Pleasureswirledaroundher,makingherskintingleandherbrainbuzz.Hehoveredjustoutofreach,

like a thunderstorm on the horizon. Energy trickled into her mind, expanding their link, widening the
connection.Thenhebarreledintoherbeinglikeaflashflood,inundatinghersensesandshatteringreality.

TherewasonlyVoxandthelovehefedher,onlypleasureandsecurity.Hestretchedherbodyand

challengedherconceptsoflife,expandingherunderstandinginwaysshe’dneverbeabletoexplain.His
mouthgentledashishipsthrustfaster.Shedidn’twantittoend,yettheintensitywaspainful.

She screamed in pleasure, and fear threaded through her contentment. What if a human couldn’t

surviveatrueBilarrianjoining?

Hewrappedhisarmsaroundherandpressedhertohisthunderingheart.Iwillneverharmyou,nor

allowanothertothreatenyou.Heeasedbacktheintensityuntilshewassuspendedintranquilsplendor.
Doyouacceptmyclaim?Willyoubindyoursoulwithmineforalleternity?

“Yes.Iwill,”shewhisperedthewordswithhermouthaswellashermind,makingsureheheard.
He thrust his full length into her and energy surged through her along with his seed. She cried out

again, coming harder than she’d ever come before. Lights danced before her eyes and her back bowed
nearlyoffthebed.Sparksofsensationpepperedherskinastheorgasmwentonandon.

Darkness threatened to overtake her, then his lips drew her back. “You’re still alive, love.

ApparentlyahumancansurvivebeingclaimedbyaBilarrian.”

Shelaughed,tooexhaustedtomove.
Herolledthemtotheirsidesanddrewoneofherlegsuptohiship.“Iwasbeginningtowonderif

thiswouldreallyhappen.”

“Didn’tthinkIcouldtakeit?”
“No.IwasafraidIcouldn’tconvinceyouIwasworththerisk.”Hekissedherforeheadandcaressed

herbackwithlong,tenderstrokes.“Icomewithalotofexcessbaggage.”

Shechuckledandstrokedhissideandthenhismuscularflanks,“Couldhavefooledme.Youdon’t

evenhavelovehandles.”

Helaughedandcuppedherbreast.“That’swhatBilarrianadolescentscallthese.”
She stilled and stared deep into his eyes. “We’re genetically compatible, but we’re still different

species.Areyousurewe’llbeabletohavechildren?”

“I’msure.”Shefeltanoddtinglinginherbellythenhesaid,“Ithasn’thappenedyet.Iguesswe’ll

havetokeeptrying.”

“You’llhonestlybeabletotellthatsoon?”
“Whena new lifesparks within you,I will sense it.Once you’ve becomemore accustomed to our

link,youwilllikelysenseittoo.”

“WhatelsewillIbeabletosense?Lexiesaidshe’lllivelongerandbehealthierbecauseofherlink

withKaden.DoesitworkthesamewaywithBilarrians?”

“YourlifecyclewillremainlinkedwithmineaslongasI’malive.IfIamkilledwhileyoustilllive,

yourtelomereswilldeteriorateagain,meaningyou’llageashumansage.”

“Bilarriansdon’tage?That’swhyDrakkinstilllookssoyoung.”
“Weuseelementalenergytoregenerateourbodies,soourlifecycleisslowedindirectproportionto

thestrengthofourabilities.Myfatherwasbornfouryearsbeforemyuncle,butmyuncleappearsmuch
older.Andyes,that’swhyLordDrakkinappearssoyoung.”

“Wow.”Sheshookherhead,stunnedbeyondeloquentwords.“Justwow.”
“IfIhadtoldyouallofthis,wouldithavemadeyourdecisioneasier?”
Shelaughed.“WouldIhaveacceptedyourinsanelifestylesoIcouldremainyoung?Hellno!Allthis

meansisIhavetoputupwithyoulonger.”

He rolled her beneath him again and kissed her sassy mouth. “Then I’ll have to find other ways of

convincingyouI’mworththeinsanelifestyle.”

Hestartedmovinginsideheragainandallshecoulddowassmile.

*****

VoxsentapulseofenergyprecariouslyclosetoZilor’ssweatyface.Thewarrioryelpedbutjerked

asidejustintimetosavehimselffromgettingsinged.“Anattackcancomefromanydirectionatanytime.
Youmustbereadyforanything.”

ZiloracceptedthecriticismwithatensenodandVoxfeltalittleguilty.Hewasshowingoffforhis

newmateandthatwasn’tfairtohisstudents.Thetwelvecoupleshadmaderemarkableprogressinthe
few short weeks they’d been at Stargazer Ranch. They needed encouragement not showboating by their
mentor.“Let’stakeabreak.Youalldidreallywellthismorning.”

“Are you going to introduce us, or does my mate have to do it for you?” Zilor asked with a cocky

grin.IndigowastheonlyfemaleherewhohadmetEmily,soZilorhadapoint.

VoxlookedatEmily.Shestoodtoonesideoftheopentrainingfield,enjoyingthepine-scentedair

andmidmorningsunshine.Hemotionedhercloser,thenwrappedhisarmaroundhershoulders.“Thisis
mymateEmily.She’sworkingwithLexieonthemarketingcampaignforthetransformationprogram,orat
leastshewillbeagainonceIcanbepartedfromher.”

Everyonecalledouttheirnamesandgreetingsbeforehecouldtakeherthroughthelist.
“It’snicetomeeteveryone.Ican’tbelievehowwellyou’redoingalready.It’sreallyremarkable.”
Adeeprumblevibratedtheground,jarringVoxtohighalert.HeinstinctivelypushedEmilybehind

himandscannedtheareaforthreats.Therumblegrewlouderandlouder,buthestillcouldn’tlocatethe
source.

“Whatthehellisthat?”Indigoasked,hervoicealmostshrill.
“Onyourknees!”Thedisembodiedvoicecamefromnowhereandeverywhere.
Voxspreadhisarmsandscannedasoneofthefemalesbegantosob.Ashetaughtthem,theclasshad

gatheredintoatightcirclebacktoback.Theyweretenseandready,somewithconventionalweapons,
somepreparedtotesttheirnewskills.

What’sgoingon?Emilywastryingnottodistracthim,buthecouldfeelherfearanditwasallhe

coulddonottoturnaroundandhugher,comforther.

Unsure. With brutal determination, he remained focused on the bigger picture, but he still kept his

matenear.

“OnyourfuckingkneesnoworIopenfire!”
ApulseweapondischargedstrikingthegrassbetweenVox’sfeet.Heglancedaroundandrealizedhe

wastheonlyonestillstanding.EvenEmilywaskneeling,moretohissideratherthanfullybehindhim.
Unwillingtoriskthesafetyofhismateorhisstudents,heslowlysanktohisknees.

“Nowlockyourhandsbehindyourheadandkeepthosefingerspressedagainstyourskull.”
Vox narrowed his eyes, but reluctantly complied. Had this unseen person known this was the best

waytoneutralizeapyro-kin?

Rodytescouldcommunicatemind-to-mindthroughtheirintegratedtech,butfewweretrulytelepathic.

TheonlyonehecouldreachwasEmilyandhewantedherasfarfromthismadnessaspossible.

“Totheright.Icanseetheoutlineofaship,”ZilorwhisperedjustloudenoughforVoxtohear.
VoxshiftedhisheadslightlyandsawthedistortionZilorhadspotted.Sureenough,somesortofship

hoveredabouttenfeetabovetheground.

AflashoflightjarredVox’sattentionbacktotheareadirectlyinfrontofhim.Alargepersonnow

stood there in molded body armor, head concealed behind the mirrored visor of his or her helmet. The
shapeofthearmorindicatedmale,butthatcouldbeadeception.Thesoldierhadapulsepistoltrainedon
Vox, but made no move to approach. One by one similar soldiers appeared until the training field was
ringedbyinvaders.Hadtheyallcomeoffthatoneship?Itdidn’tlooklargeenoughtocontainthemall.

Ifhe’dbeenalonehewouldhaveattackedeachintruderastheyappeared,buthehadtoconsiderhis

students, and his mate. All the invaders had done so far was snarl, so Vox decided to ride it out a bit
longer.

The last soldier to appear was clearly the leader. Though his armor was identical, he made hand

gesturesthatwereimmediatelyobeyed.Oncehismenwereinaconfigurationthatseemedtosatisfyhim,
hemoveddirectlytowardVox.

Voxgottohisfeetandunhookedhishands,refusingtofacethethreatlikeahelplessfool.“You’re

trespassingonprivateland.”

Theinvaderlaughed.Thesoundwasmuffledbyhishelmet,butitwasstillunmistakable.Hetookoff

hishelmetandtuckeditbeneathhisarm,revealinghisamusedface.“Jesus,Vox,that’srich.I’mtheone
trespassingonEarth?”

Voxjuststaredinstunnedamazement.Hehadn’tseenRoyceMarsdeninfifteenyears,buthisfeatures

hadn’tchangedthatmuch.Hisbrownhairhadbeguntograyatthetemplesandlinesnowfannedoutfrom
hisgreeneyes.“Marsden.What’sthisabout?”

“Lowershields,men.Showthisbastardwhatwe’reabout.”
Inresponsetotheorder,sixshipsgraduallyappeared,formingacircleintheskyabovethetraining

field.Higherup,onemuchlargershipdominatedtheothers,thecommandcenternodoubt.

“Letmestartwithanintroduction,I’mColonelRoyceMarsdenoftheUSAirforce,myunitisknown

—tothosefewwhoknowweexist—asSolarWarden.”

“Isthisallyou’vegot?”Voxmotionedtothecollectionofships.“Thebattleborncanobliteratethis

forcewithoneoftheirPhantoms.Andunlikeyourattemptatstealth,you’llneverseeitcoming.”

“We’renotheretopickafight,”Marsdentoldhim.“We’reheretoissueawarning.Wecan’tcontrol

whatyoudoonthemoon.Technically,itbelongstoRodymia.”

Voxhadnoideawhythatwouldbe,buthedidn’tletitshowinhisexpression.
“Thisranch,however,isintheUSandyoudon’thavepermissiontobehere.Anyonewithoutavalid

visamustbegoneinonehourorwewillstartarrestingpeople.Givesillegalaliensaninterestingtwist,
don’tyouthink?”Hehadtheaudacitytolaugh,buthislevitydidn’tlastlong.“I’mnotkidding,Vox.Get
yourpeopleoutofhere,anddon’tcomeback!”

“Andifwedon’t?”Voxstoodhisground,refusingtocoweryetunwillingtobecometheaggressor.
“IfyoucontinuetouseStargazerRanch,orifoneAmericanfemaleistakenfromUSsoilwithoutour

permission,wewillconsideritanactofwar.”

Thenonebyonethesoldiersdisappeared,bio-streamedbacktotheirshipsnodoubt.Whichmeant

theycouldonlystreamonepersonatatime.Interesting.

“Oh,andtheanswertoyourquestion,Vox,isno.”Marsdentransmittedhisvoiceimmediatelyafter

returningtohisship.“Thisisn’tallwe’vegot.”

A faint shimmer drew Vox’s attention higher into the sky as the final ship lowered its shields. He

immediately recognized the size and shape as a Rodyte attack-class cruiser, like the Crusader or—the
Relentless!“Kage,”hemuttered,thensworeinBilarrian.

“That’s right.” Marsden sounded downright smug. “The Outcasts are with us now. Make sure you

thankGeneralNoxfortheshinynewship.”

ChapterNine

EmilysatacrossfromLexieatasmallroundtableinthenewlyopenedcommonsofLunarNine.The

area was basically a casual lounge in the middle of the commerce tiers. A beverage kiosk served an
assortment of nonalcoholic drinks for a nominal fee, and the view was spectacular. From her vantage
point at the table, she could see up through the center of the tiers to the ever-morphing display dome,
which the outpost engineers had brought online the day before. A lovely ocean scene faded out as a
mountainvistatookitsplace.Trulysomethingforeveryone.

“I’msupposedtobedistractingyoufromsomesortofcrisis,butyoulookanythingbutdistressed.”

LexiewaiteduntilEmilydraggedhergazeawayfromthedomebeforeshesaid,“Caretoexplainwhat
wentondownthere?”

“Whichpart?”Emilysmiledasmemorieswarmedhercheeks.“Lastnightorthismorning?”
Lexie’sjawdropped.“TherewasalastnightforyouandVoxandittookyouthislongtotellme?”
Emilycouldn’tcontainherbeamingsmile.“It’sofficial.Ifellrightintoyou’remaniacaltrap.”
With an excited squeal, Lexie flew around the table and gave Emily a firm hug. “Congratulations.”

Thenshestilledandlookedintenselyconcerned.“DidVoxexplainabouthisum…family?”

“Iknoweverything.He’smuchtoohonorabletoclaimmewithouttellingmeabouthisum…family.”

LexieslappedatherandEmilylaughed.“Youcouldhavetoldmehe’saprince,youknow.Youhadno
troubletellinghimallofmysecrets.”

“Hey, I’m the one who made him swear he would tell you before he let things go too far.” Lexie

returned to her seat, then glanced toward Raylon’s office on the top tier. “So what happened this
morning?”

“EverheardofSolarWarden?”
Lexie’s forehead creased and her eyes narrowed. “I’ve heard all sorts of stories, but they’re just

stories.Aren’tthey?”

“Yeah,likethemoonbeinghollowwasjustastory.ColonelRoyceMarsdenandhisblackopsteam

showeduptothrowallthe‘illegalaliens’offUSsoil.HesaidRodytesmightownthemoon,butifthey
startstealinghumanfemales,itwillbeconsideredanactofwar.”

“Holyshit.”Lexieshookherhead,clearlyshockedbythedevelopment.
“DoyouknowwhyhewouldsaythatRodytesownthemoon?IaskedVox,buthehadnoidea.”
Lexie laughed and shook her head, still looking a bit stunned. “It goes clear back to the moon

landings. Lunar Nine was originally an observation station from which the Rodytes watched the space
race.Buttheyquicklyrealizedotherusesfortheoutpostandwereintheprocessofexpandingitwhenone
of the astronauts wandered into a maintenance entrance. I’m not clear on the details, but the Rodyte
leaders used a combination of obscure squatter laws and imminent domain principles to establish
ownershipofthemoon.Thepoorastronautwashandedafistfulloflegaldocumentsandtoldtopackup
histhingsandgohome.That’swhyNASAshifteditsfocustoMars.”

“That’stoobizarretobemadeup.”
Lexiejustsmiled,thenherexpressionturnedthoughtful.“Soundslikeourvideoworkedalittletoo

well.UncleSamobviouslydidn’tfeelthreatenedbefore.Howbigwasthisteam,andhowdidtheyshow
up?”

“That’snotjustarumoreither.TheUSmilitaryhasspaceships.Theyweren’tveryimpressive,but

there’smore.”

“More?”Lexiepressedherhandtoherchest.“I’mnotsuremyheartcantakeit.”
“SomeonecalledtheOutcastwaswithMarsdenandhewasinaRodyteship.Aprettybigone.”
Lexie shuddered, her eyes round with worry and disbelief. “This is bad, really, really bad. The

Outcastsaren’tahim.It’sathem.They’reagroupofoutlawsledbyatechnomage.DidVoxexplainwhat
atechnomageis?”

“AccordingtoVoxthey’repatheticcreaturesaddictedtoimplantsthatattempttomakeitappearlike

theycanworkmagic.”

Lexierolledhereyes,abitofhershockstartingtoabate.“OnlyVoxcouldsellthatline.Whathesaid

is more or less true, except the integrated tech does a damn good job of making it seem like they can
controlmagic.ImetKageonceandthatwasmorethanenoughforme.Voxcansneerattheirtechnology,
buttheOutcastssnatchedmerightoutofabio-streambeam.Kageisscaryasshitandhasoverathousand
menathiscommand.”

“Yeahthatdoesn’tsoundhelpfulatall.”
“Raylonisgoingtolosehismind.HedidnotwantAGNoxtogiveKageRazelthatship.Garindidit

tosavemysister,butRaylonknewitwouldbiteusintheass.”

“LookslikeRaylonwasrightaboutthat.Butitdoesn’tmakesensetome.WhatcantheUSmilitary

offertheOutcaststhatthebattleborncan’t?TheOutcastshipwastheonlyoneevensortofintimidating,
andthereareseveraljustlikeitoutinthespaceport.”Emilyheavedaheavysigh,thensuddenlyperked
up. “Oh, I almost forgot. Vox knows Marsden. He didn’t take time to explain when and how before we
teleporteduphere,buttheydefinitelyknoweachother.”

“Wow.Ileaveyoualoneforlessthantwenty-fourhoursandlookwhathappens.”
Emilysmiled,butnoneofitwasfunny.Therebellionwasinserioustroubleandtheybothknewit.

*****

“Theonlyquestionthatmattersiswhatdowedoaboutthis?”Garinsnapped,hewastooanxiousto

sit, so his holo-image paced on the far side of Raylon’s office. Vox had thoroughly reviewed the
challenges that developed that morning, stressing the limitations he’d discovered in Solar Warden’s
technology.They’ddebatedwaystoexploiteachweaknessatlength.NowitwasobviousthatGarinwas
readytomoveontosolutions.

Raylonsatbehindhisdesk,buthiscontinualrockingrevealedhisrestlessness.
Years of rigorous training on the metaphysical plane allowed Vox to process stress differently. He

sentcalmingenergycascadingthroughhisbodywheneverhismusclesbegantotense.

“TheRelentless is one of our best, but she’s still only one ship,” Raylon muttered. “Even with the

Outcasts,wehavethemoutgunned.”

“WecannotgotowarwithEarth!”Garinyelled.“It’soutofthequestion.Wedidnotdeposeatyrant

sowecouldfollowinhisfootsteps.Thefemaleswillvolunteerorthisprogramisover.”

“That’s not what I was suggesting,” Raylon argued. “Humans have a concept called peace through

strength.Isayweflexourmuscles.”

Garin didn’t dismiss the suggestion entirely, nor did he look convinced. “This Marsden might

commandSolarWarden,butsomeoneiscommandinghim.Weneedtoidentifyhiscommandingofficers
andnegotiate—”

“You can’t negotiate with the US military!” Raylon took a deep breath, then continued in a more

controlledtone.“They’renotoriousforbreakingtreaties.Besides,wetriednegotiatingalreadyandthey
turnedusdown.”

“We rejected their insistence on secrecy. That’s what shut down the negotiations.” Garin calmed

downenoughtostoppacing,atleastforthemoment.“HowwelldoyouknowMarsden?”heaskedVox.

“Iknewhimrelativelywellfifteenyearsago.Weworkedtogetheronalengthymission.”
“Whatsortofmission,”Raylonwantedtoknow.
“I was chasing a dangerous fugitive. He was one of the men chosen to assist me. He wasn’t in

command back then, but he was already full of himself.” Marsden’s cocky attitude hadn’t bothered Vox
becausethehumanwasalsocompetentandreliable.Butfifteenyearswasalongtime,andpowerhada
wayofchangingpeople.

“Ishereasonable?”Garinpersisted.“Couldyoutalktohimandfindoutifthereisanypossibilityof

compromise?”

“I’lltry.”Voxraisedhishands,feelinghelpless.Thiswastakinghimdeeperthanhe’dwantedtogo.

HewassupposedtobeextractinghimselffromtherebellionsohecouldreturntoBilarriandcontinuehis
preparationsforbecomingregionalking.Eachadditionaltaskheagreedtopostponedhisultimategoal.
“FirstI’llhavetofigureouthowtocontacthim.”

“We can still contact the Relentless, unless they’ve gutted their com-system,” Raylon pointed out.

“AllweneedtodoistellKagewhenandwhereyouwanttomeet.”HelookedatGarinandopenedhis
mouth,butthegeneralshuthimdownwithafuriousglare.

“Idon’twanttohearit.TrustingKagewasagambleandIlost.Fortunately,Iwassuspiciousenough

toslipamaninsidehiscampanddocumentthedescriptionandtranspondercodesofeveryoneoftheir
ships.”

“Thatwillhelp,”Raylonagreed.“NowIneedtoknoweverythingaboutthisSolarWardenprogram.”
“I’llletyougettoit.”GarinsighedandthenlookedatVox.“I’mnotexpectingmiracles.Justopena

dialogue.Seewhatyoucanfindout.”

“Ofcourse,sir.”Hewasn’ttechnicallyoneofGarin’smen,butthegeneraldeservedrespectforall

thathe’dbeenabletoaccomplish,andallthathewasstilltryingtodo.

Garin ended the transmission and Raylon batted a mug off the corner of his desk. “Gods damn it!”

Themugbouncedoffthewallwitharesonatethud,butonlycrackedratherthanbreaking.“Iknewthatson
ofabitchwouldbetrayus.Icouldseeitinhiscoldblackeyes.”

VoxonlyknewKagebyreputation,sohedidn’tcomment.“WillhedeliverthemessagetoMarsden

orshouldIfigureoutanotherway?”

“He’lldeliverthemessage.Itwillprobablyamusehimtoknowwe’repreparingtogrovel.”
“Ihavenointentionofgroveling.”
Raylonshookhishead.“Don’tlistentome.Ineedtogoworkthisoffinatrainingcage.I’llcontact

thebastardmyselfjusttomakesurehefollowsthrough.ButIneedatimeandlocation.”

Voxthoughtforasecondthensaid,“There’sabarinBouldercalledtheCharterClub.Ifhedoesn’t

knowtheplace,hecaneasilyfindout.I’llbetheretomorrownightateight.TellhimtocomealoneorI
won’tstay.”

“Gotit,andthanksagain.”
VoxleftRaylon’sofficewithmorequestionsthanwhenhe’dentered.Notagoodsign.Buthespotted

EmilyandLexieashewalkedtowardtheelevatorsandhisspiritcalmed.Theywerechatting,smilingand
laughing as if they didn’t have a care in the world. He could still sense Emily’s tension, so he knew a
good deal of their levity was for show. Neither wanted the other to realize how worried they were, so
theysmiledandteased,asgoodfriendsoftendid.

Hehadamate,anextraordinary,wonderfulmate.Hewasstillstrugglingtobelieveitwastrue.He

wouldfatherchildrenandcontinuetheLorietdynasty.Nowallhehadtodowasconvincehisfatherthat
bondingwithahumanhadn’tbeenanintentionalinsult.

Too impatient to wait for the lift, he teleported to the lowest level then joined the females in the

commons.

“Howdidthemeetinggo?”Emilyaskedasheapproached.
“Aswellascanbeexpected.Iwasthebearerofsomeverybadnews.”
“AreyoutwogoingtohangaroundhereorheadbacktoStargazerRanch?”Lexieasked.
“And risk deportation?” Vox indulged in a little sarcasm. “I thought I’d spend the night in Emily’s

apartment.Ithinkwe’vebothhadenoughexcitementforoneday.”

“Is there room for both of you?” Lexie laughed. “I’ve seen inside that thing. She can barely turn

around.”

“It’snotthatsmall,”Emilyobjected.
“IfKadencouldteleport,I’dmakehimtakemesomewhereneweverynight.”Withthatpartingshot,

Lexiestood,blewEmilyakissthenwalkedoutofthecommons.

“Maybe we should go back to Stargazer Ranch,” Vox mused. “I have to meet Marsden in Boulder

tomorrowanyway,andmycabinismuchmorecomfortablethanyourapartment.”

“Ihonestlydon’tcarewherewegoaslongaswe’retogether.”
Hetookherbythehandsandpulledhertoherfeet.“Ihopeyouneverregretthosewords.”Hepulled

herintohisarmsandteleportedthemtothelivingroomofhiscabin.

She slowly raised her head and looked around. “I think I’m finally getting used to teleporting, but

whyareweinthelivingroom,notthebedroom?”

“Ineedtounwind.I’mtoodistractedrightnowtogiveyoumycompleteattention,”headmittedwith

awearysigh.

“Allright.Doyouwantadrink?Iknowit’searly,butIwon’ttellanyone.”
“Actually,I’mhungry.DidyouandLexieeat,orcanImakeyouasandwich?”
“Weateandyoujustgotrakedoverthecoals.Haveaseatandletmetakecareofyouforachange.”
He smiled and sank onto the nearby sofa, too emotionally spent to argue. Garin’s and Raylon’s

outburstshadbeendirectedateachothermostofthetime,butVoxfeltbatteredbytheirfrustration.Ifthe
meeting hadn’t come on the heels of the showdown, he wouldn’t have felt so exhausted. But he’d been
terrifiedforEmilyandthetrainees,afraidthattheinvadershadwantedfarmorethantoissueawarning.

Pullingoffhisboots,herestedhisheadagainstthewallandtriedtorelaxwhileEmilymovedaround

inthekitchen.Thedownsideoftheirlinkwasthathe’dbeenabletofeelherfear.He’dknownhismate
was terrified and he hadn’t been able to comfort her. If Marsden had wanted to make a more profound
impression,hecouldhaveslaughteredeverypersononthetrainingfieldwithoutrevealinghisposition.
Unlesshecouldn’tfirehisweaponsthroughthehumanversionofcovertshields.Itwasanearlylimitation
thebattlebornhadworkedlongandhardtoovercome.

“You said something about a meeting with Marsden,” she called, still working on his lunch. “How

didthatcomeabout?”

“Raylon’s in the process of setting it up, so it’s still a little iffy.” He opened his eyes and

straightened,notwantingtoshutherout.

She returned bearing a sandwich, apple slices, and a beer. She’d also brought a beer for herself.

Mostofhisfamilymemberswouldbehorrifiedbysuchsimplyfare,buthe’dgrownfondofthecasual
foodofEarth.Everydiningexperiencedidn’tneedtobeaneight-coursemeal.

“Youdon’tsoundpleasedwiththedevelopment,”shenoted.“Isitsomethingyou’dratheravoid?”
“Not necessarily. I just promised my father I’d return to Bilarri within three months and that was

roughly two weeks ago. The trainees were making great progress, but their training is on hold until we
figureouthowtodealwiththiscomplication.”

“Isn’t there somewhere on Lunar Nine that would work for the training sessions, maybe a vacant

warehouseorgymnasium?”

Hetookseveralbitesbeforeanswering.Hereallywashungry.Afterclearinghismouthwithaswig

ofbeer,heexplained,“Thetrainingsessionswillbeeasytorelocate,butnoneofusaresurehowtodeal
withthevolunteers.StargazerRanchwassupposedtobeasortoffilter,weedingoutanyonewhowasn’t
agoodmatchforthetransformationprogrambeforetheysetfoodinLunarNine.”

“Couldtheybetakentooneoftheships?”Shetookadrinkasshewaitedforhisanswer.
He nodded, hurrying through an apple slice. “There are several with adequate accommodations to

handleasteadystreamoffemales,butagainaspaceshipmightbeenoughofacuriositytodrawtourists
ratherthanseriousparticipants.That’swhywewantedtodothein-depthorientationatStargazerRanch.”

“Thebattlebornwillthinkofsomething.Necessityisthemotherofinventionandtheyhavethemost

tolose.”

Itwasagentlereminderthathewasn’tdirectlyinvolvedintherebellion.Henoddedandmunched

for a minute in silence. “You’re right. They’re my friends and I care about their future, but this is their
battletowinorlose.Andthey’retheoneswhohavetolivewiththeoutcome.I’maperipheralplayer.”

Herbrowarched.“Iseriouslydoubtyou’veremainedontheperipheryofanythingyou’veeverdone.

It’snotinyournature.AllImeantbythecommentisthatyoudon’thavetoshouldertheresponsibilityall
byyourself.”

Hefinishedthesandwichandsettheplateaside,quicklygrabbingthelasttwoappleslices.“Ithinka

nicelongshowermighthelpmerelax.”Hetookabiteoffoneoftheslicesthenheldittoherlips.She
obedientlyacceptedthemorsel,hersoftlipsbrushinghisfingertips.“Wouldyouliketojoinme?”

“I’dloveto,”shewhispered,eyesfilledwithmischief.
Theysharedthelastappleslice,thenhefinishedhisbeer.Shetookafinalsip,settingtherestaside.

Hewasn’tsurewhenshe’dtakenoffherboots,butherfeetwerenowbare.Herskirtswishedaroundher
calves as they walked into the bedroom. He opened the shower door and turned on the water, letting it
heatwhiletheyundressed.

“Yourfather’sgoingtohateme,isn’the?”Disappointmentandresignationwashedintohismindon

theheelsofherquestion.“That’swhyLordDrakkinaskedifyou’dtoldhim.”

Vox backed her against the sink and unbuttoned her blouse. “My father is used to having things his

own way. Unfortunately, his first-born son is just as stubborn as he is. I didn’t set out to find an
unconventionalmate,butIwon’tforsaketheloveofmylifebecausemyfatherdisapproves.”

Warmthandtendernessrippledacrosstheirlinkassheheardhiswords.“Canhepreventyoufrom

becomingking?”Sheshruggedoutofherblouseandtookoffherbraasshewaitedforhisanswer.

Herbreastsdistractedhimforamoment,makinghimforgetherquestion.Shewassobeautiful.He

wouldnevertireoflookingather.

“Yourfather,”shepromptedwithasmile.
“If he throws a fit, I’ll challenge his right to rule the guild.” He ripped off his tunic and shed his

pants, his movements agitated and swift. “I’ve suspected for the past few years that my power has
surpassedhis.Maybeit’stimetofindout.”

Herwarmhandspressedagainsthischeeksandsheguidedhisgazetohers.“Don’tgotowarwith

yourfatherbecauseofme.I’dratherwinhimovergradually.”

He released a sigh and nodded. Maybe he should have volunteered to spar with Raylon before he

searchedouthismate.Hewasstillfeelingadversarial.“We’llfocusonmymother.Ifwegetheronour
side,Fatherwillhavenooptionbuttogivein.”

Emilysmiled.“Soundsliketheidealmarriage.Asthesayinggoes,‘happywife,happylife’.”
“Ihaveneverheardthatbefore,butI’lldomybesttoremember.”Hepulledheragainsthim,needing

hersoftnessandheat.

“I think you need a little pampering.” She quickly shed her skirt and panties, then led him into the

steamyshower.

Theysteppedbeneaththespray,lettingthewatersaturatetheirhairandrolldownovertheirbodies.

For a long time he just held her, content with the press of her warm flesh against his. Their link was a
balm.Herlovesoothedandencouragedasherhandsstrokedupanddownhisback.

Thenasurgeofdesirerekindledhisrestlessness.Hetangledhisfingersinherhairandslowlydrew

her head back. Her lips were parted and waiting as his mouth descended. Sweetly surrendered, she
welcomedhistongue,allowinghimtotakewhatheneededtoquiethisdarkmood.Buthisneedescalated,

making him more demanding. His lips slid against hers, his tongue exploring the inner softness of her
mouth.Shetastedofapple,beeranddesire,thecombinationaddictive.

Suddenly she ducked beneath his arm and slid around to his back, still keeping herself pressed

against him. Her hands moved slowly over his chest and abdomen while he panted for breath. “Slow
down,love.We’vegotallday.Thisdoesn’thavetobequitesofrantic.”

Buthewantedfrantic.Hewantedwild.Hewantedtoforcehertoherkneesandmountherlikean

animal. Which is why you need to calm down. His hands clenched and his cock bucked, but he
concentratedonhisbreathing,determinednottouseherlikeasparringpartner.

Whenhisbreathingfinallyreturnedtonormal,sheworkedshampoothroughhishair,thenrubbedthe

knotsoftensionoutofhisshouldermuscles.Herfirmmassageeasedthetightnessinoneareaofhisbody
while intensifying the tension in others. He needed to be inside her, needed to hear her gasp and moan
whilehertightheatpulsedaroundhim.

Her slick fingers moved lower, working his back and sides. His cock jerked, eager for the firm

embraceofhercore.Hecaughtoneofherwristsandguidedherhandtohisshaft.Herfingerscurvedinto
asnugringandheshowedherhowtostroke.

“I want to taste you,” she whispered in his ear and he nearly lost control and spilled all over her

hand.

She chuckled and turned him around, letting the water rinse the soap from his body. Then she

carefullykneltbeforehim,hergazelockedwithhis.“You’realwaystoodesperatetobeinsidemetolet
meplay.SoI’mgoingfirstthistime.”

“Is that so?” He wanted her mouth more than he’d ever admit, but his mood was too aggressive to

tolerateherbossytone.“IfIchoosetofinishinyourmouth,youwon’tgetanythingatall.”

“Isthatsupposedtoscareme?”Sheclosedherlipsaroundhistipandsuckedhard,eyesgleaming

withchallenge.

He groaned so loud he was embarrassed by the needful sound. He tangled one fist in her hair and

pulledfreeofherclingylips.“KeepitupandI’llstopholdingback.I’mfeelingparticularlysavageright
now.”

“Idon’twantyoutoholdback.”Shelickedhimthengrinned.“AndIcanbesavagetoo.”Shecaught

him with her teeth and bit just hard enough to make him gasp. Then her warm, wet lips sank down and
downuntilhebumpedthebackofhermouth.

Hedroppedhisheadbackandsurrenderedtothepleasure,awillingcaptivetoherwickedmouth.
Sheslidandsucked,lickedandswirledhertongueuntilhethoughthe’dlosehismind.Warmwater

ran down his body in teasing rivulets, but nothing compared with the heat of her mouth. He rocked his
hips,dragging his lengthnearly out ofher mouth then pushingdeep again. Hermind was open, offering
affectionasfreelyasshegavehimpleasure.Hisheadbegantospinandhisballsdrewuptight,readyto
spilldownherthroat.Buthedidn’twanttocomebyhimself.Heneededtofeelhershatterasheletgo.

So he pulled out of her mouth with another groan and spun her to face the wall. She laughed and

tossed her head, sending water flying all around her. Then she spread her legs, clearly ready for their
joining.Hegrabbedherhipsandpulledheruptotheballsofherfeet,thrustingintohercorefrombehind.
Shecriedout,herinnerwallssqueezingtightashebegantomove.

Shewassodamnhotandeagerthatheknewhewouldn’tlast.Sohefoundherclitwithhismiddle

finger and accented each thrust with a circular caress. She tossed her head again and braced herself
againsttheslickwallashesurgedintoheroverandover.

Hisfreehandstrokedherbreastsasshethrustbackagainsthim.Desireblazedthroughhismindand

watercascadedovertheirundulatingbodies.Herexcitementburnedeverybitashotashis,whichonly
fedhisfire.Hisballstingledandhefoughtwitheverythinghehadtoholdbacktheinevitable.Hedidn’t
wantittoend,wantedtorevelinthepleasureaslongaspossible.Butitfelttoodamngood!

“Comeforme,now.”Hegentlysqueezedherclitandherbodyobeyedassheshudderedagainsthim.
Her inner muscles contracted in rhythmic pulses, shattering what little remained of his control. He

thrustonelasttimeandreleasedhisseeddeepinsideherwarmbody.Hewrappedbotharmsaroundher
assherodeoutwaveafterwaveofpleasure.

“This was just a warm up,” she cautioned, still panting from the intensity. “We’re going to do this

againonthebed.”

Hebentdownandnippedthesideofherneck.“Whendidyoubecomesobossy?”
She laughed and turned her head sharply so she could look at him. “It isn’t bossiness. It’s

desperation. I know they’re going to keep you really busy for the next few days, so I intend to enjoy
havingyoutomyselfforaslongasIcan.”

“It’shardtoarguewiththat.”Hegentlyseparatedtheirbodiesandreachedfortheshampoo.

*****

Later that night, they had dinner with Rachel up at the big house, then went on a leisurely walk

throughthehills.BythetimetheyreturnedtoVox’scabin,itwasdark.Hestackedwoodinthefireplace,
thenignitedaroaringblazewiththewaveofhishand.Emilywatchedthecasualdisplayinsilentwonder.
Her mate was utterly amazing, yet he seemed to shrug off his power as if it were nothing out of the
ordinary.Butthenhewasfromaworldwhereeveryonecouldcontrolmagictooneextentoranother,so
maybeitwasn’tsosurprisingthathewasn’timpressed.

“Tell me about your family.” They sat on a large fur spread before the fire, sipping wine as they

stared at each other. “I know they’re royalty, but they’re also people. Are you close to any of your
siblings?Howdidyourmotherandfathermeet?”

He answered the last question first. “My father was lucky. He had three compatible females from

whichtochoose.Mymotherwastheonewhointerestedhimmost.Sheisalsofromaroyalline,soitwas
apoliticallyadvantageouschoice.”

Thatmadeitsoundsocoldandcalculated,yetthecarouselhadgivenheradifferentimpressionof

theirmarriage.“Iknowthey’vebeentogetherformanyyears,butdotheyloveeachother?”

“I’mnotsureitwaslovefromthebeginning.Withelitecouplesitseldomis.Still,theyaredeeplyin

lovenow.”

She smiled, pleased by the clarification. “And your siblings? What is your relationship like with

them?”

“MybrotherandIarecloseattimesandcan’tstandeachotheratothertimes.I’mveryprotectiveof

mysisters,buttheycanalsodrivemecrazy.Mysisters,however,areinseparablewitheachother.Ifyou
angerone,youdealwithallthree.”

Shetookasipofwine,tryingtoimaginewhatitwouldbeliketogrowupsurroundedbysiblings.“I

always longed for a sister or brother to keep me company, and you probably wished you were an only
child.Atleastthat’sthewayitworkswithhumans.Wealwayswanttheoppositeofwhatwehave.”

He nodded. “Bilarrians aren’t that different. As a teen I avoided my siblings as much as the staff

would allow. I found the girls exasperating and Jontar, my brother, seemed ridiculously immature
comparedtomyself.”

“Howmanyyearsseparateyou?”
“Three.Mysisterswerebornattwo-yearintervalsbeginningfouryearsafterJontar’sbirth.”
“Haveanyofthemfoundtheirmates?”
Henodded.“Jontarisinvolvedwithafemale,butsheisnothismate.Twoofmythreesistersare

mated.Themiddlesisterhasnotyetlocatedapotentialmate,andisquiteputoutthathersearchhastaken
solong.”

Shelookedintothefire,feelingguiltyforhoweasilythey’dfoundeachother.“It’ssostrangetothink

about searching for a mate, not being able to have children with whomever you choose. Humans don’t
realizehowgoodwehaveit,orhowhorriblywetakeitforgranted.”

“There’s no need to feel guilty, sweetheart.” He guided her face back around. “We did it to

ourselves.”

“Whatareyoutalkingabout?”
“The need to find a genetically compatible partner is an unintended side effect of genetic

manipulation,whichwastheresultofourgreedforpower.Themutationoccurredcenturiesago,butmy
speciesdidthistothemselves.”

“Ihadnoidea.”Forsomereasonshedidn’tunderstand,theadmissionmadeherevensadder.
“It’snotsomethingweliketotalkabout.Infact,mostpretendthatpinpointcompatibilityhasalways

been part of our existence, but it’s simply not true.” He took her nearly empty wineglass, then set them
bothaside.“Iwouldn’thavebroughtitupifIknewitwouldupsetyou.”

“It’snotyou.Thisentiredayhasbeensostrange.”
“I hope the entire day hasn’t been strange. I enjoyed certain parts very much.” He emphasized his

meaningwithawickedsmile.

“Ourshowerwaswonderful,andIenjoyedourdinnerwithRachel.I’mjusthavingtroublelettinggo

ofthismorning.I’veneverfeltthathelplessinmylife.”

Hesighed.“Iwouldn’thavelethimhurtyou.”
Sheheardtheinsistencyinhistone,butshealsofelttheuncertaintythreadedthroughhisemotions.

Clearly,hewasn’twillingtoadmitit,buthe’dbeenafraidtoo.“Idon’twanttothinkaboutthismorning.
Infact,Idon’twanttothinkaboutanythingatall.”Shecurledherlegsbeneathherandcrawledtoward
him.“Iwanttomakelovewithmymate.”

He knelt as well, then took her face between his hands. “What happened in the shower was over

muchtoofast.Iwon’tletyourushmethistime.”

Shesmiled,lovinghowpowerfulshehadfeltwhileshepleasuredhim.“I’llbehave,Ipromise.”
“Iknowyouwill,becauseI’mgoingtoensurethatyoudo.”
Thesensualthreatsenttinglesdownherspine.“Nowthatsoundslikeachallenge.”
“Notachallenge.Awarning.”Hehadherblouseunbuttonedinamatterofsecondsandherbrasoon

followed.They’dbothshedtheirbootsbythefrontdoorbecausetheyweremuddyfromtheirhike.She
pulledhisshirtoffoverhisheadandhehelpedherremoveherskirt.Soontheonlythingthatseparated
themwashispants.Shereachedforthefastenings,buthecaughtherwristsandshookhishead.“Notyet.”

Shedidn’tunderstandhisreluctance,butshedidn’targue.Instead,shewrappedherarmsaroundhis

neckandofferedhermouth.

Hedidn’thesitate.Hislipssealedoverhersandhistonguesweptintohermouthwithboldpassion.

She loved all the different ways he kissed her. Sometimes his lips were so soft, she could barely feel
them,andothertimestheygroundagainsthersalmostpainfully.Helikedtonibbleonherlowerlipand
his tongue couldn’t seem to get enough of her taste. Right now, his kiss was slow and intoxicating. She
mirroredhismovementswithhertongue,travelingfromhermouthtohisandback.

Withoutseparatingtheirmouths,helaidherbackonthefurandsettledintothecradleofherthighs.

Thesoftnesscushionedherbodywhilethelonghairstickledherskin.Shewiggleddeeper,rubbingher
nipplesagainsthischestintheprocess.Hegrowledintoheropenmouthandrockedbackontohisknees,
liftinghisbodyoffher.Thenhedrewherhandsaboveherheadandheldthemtherewithoneinsistentfist.

Shemurmuredherobjectionandtuggedagainsthishold.Iwanttotouchyou.Hewasstillkissing

hersoshesenttheargumentdirectlytohismind.

Notyet.
Therewasafinalitytohisresponsethatwarnedhernottoargue.Hismoodhadbeendarkalldayand

shewasstartingtowonderifithadmoretodowiththeconflictwaitingforthemonBilarrithanthenew
developmentsonEarth.

Areyouworriedabouthowyourfatherwill—
Not now. He tore his mouth away from hers and stared deep into her eyes. “Clearly I’m not

adequatelydistractingyouifyoucanstillthinkaboutmyfather.”

Hekissedheragain,butshecouldsensethefrustrationanddreadtwistingthroughhim.Ithinkyou

needtotalkthisout.

Withafrustratedgrowlherolledtohersideanddrapedhisforearmoverhiseyes.“Idon’twantto

talk.Iwanttomakelovetomymate.”

She swung one of her legs over his body and straddled his hips. “Let’s do both.” Bracing herself

against his wide chest, she rolled her hips, rubbing his shaft with her damp folds. “We both know he’s
goingtobepissed.What’stheworsthecandoinretaliation?”

Hereachedupandcuppedherbreastsashisgazeboreintohers.“Thisistorture.”
“Then stop avoiding the issue so we can focus on what we both want.” She kept right on rocking,

whichkepttheirarousalsmoldering.

“Hecandisinheritme,butIhavewealthindependentfromhis.”
“Whatelse?”shepersisted.
“HecannameJontarashissuccessor.”
“Butyousaidyou’dchallengehisrightasguildmasterifhetriedthat,”shereminded.“Anditsounds

likeyou’dprobablywin.”

“I don’t want to be Master Fire. My temperament is much more suited to ruling a kingdom than

guidingaspiritualguild.”

“Thenwehavetoconvincehimthatjoiningwithahumanwasashrewdpoliticalmove.”
He stilled, his hands moving to her hips. “Stop for a minute. Let me think. You might be on to

something.”

Reluctantly,shestoppedtheteasingslideandsettledherselfagainsthim.“Lexiesaidhumansarelike

universalblooddonors.Ourgeneticsmixwellwithalmostanyone.”

“Humans have successfully mated with Rodytes, Bilarrians and Ontarians.” His gaze turned distant

andthoughtful.“IsitpossiblethatincorporatinghumanDNAintoourgenepoolcouldeventuallydiminish
—orevencure—thecompatibilityissue?”

SuddenlyEmilyrealizedwheresuchadiscoverycouldlead.“I’msuchatraitor.Ifwordgetsoutthat

humansarethecuretoyourgeneticwoos,we’llbeoverrunwithpeoplefromyourstarsystemdesperate
togiveitatry.”

“Wedon’thavetoadvertisethefinding,butitmightbeenoughtogivemyfatherpause.”
“AndifIhappentobepregnantwiththenextLorietheir,thatmightsoftenhisattitudefurther.”
Heclaspedherhipsandrolledherbeneathhimagain.“Thatwoulddefinitelyworkwithmymother.

Sheissoreadytobeagrandmotherit’scomical.”

“Thenhadn’twebettergetbusy?”Sheraisedherarmsaboveherheadandarchedherback.
“Iwasn’ttheonewhoinsistedontalking.”Hebenttoherbreastsandsuckedoneofhernipplesdeep

intohismouth.

“Silly me,” she whispered as he worked the tip into a pebble-hard point. He was even more

aggressivenow,buthismindwaspeaceful,focusedentirelyontheirmutualpleasure.Theyhadastrategy,
apossibleadvantage.She’dgivenhimhope.Apparently,thatwasenoughtocalmhisspirit.

Hetreatedtheothersidetothesamefirmattention,thenkissedhiswayacrossherabdomen.She’d

knownheintendedtogodownonher.Itwasonlynaturalafterwhatshe’ddoneintheshower.Worse,she
knewhe’dbewonderfullycruel,drivingherutterlycrazybeforehegaveherwhatshereallywanted.

Hiswarm,wetmouthsettledoverherslitandsheclosedhereyes.Hewassodamngoodatthis.It

reallywasn’tfair.Histongueteasedherfolds,comingcloseto,butnevertouchingherclit.Shemurmured
andwiggled,tryingtoguidehimbacktothesensitiveknotofnerves.

Athroatychucklewarnedherthatheknewexactlywhathewasdoing.Hepushedintohercore,but

asbefore,heonlywentfarenoughtomakeherdesperateformore.

“Vox,”shecried.“Pleasestopteasingme.”
Iliketeasingyou.Forhalfasecondhistonguestrokedherclit,showingherwhatshewasmissing.

Thenhewentrightbacktodrivinghercrazy.

Shetriedtopushhimaway,butheeasilycaughtherwristsandheldherarmsstillashedidexactlyas

he pleased. Knowing she was powerless to resist him, and knowing he would never leave her aching
indefinitely,sherelaxedbackintothefurandconcentratedonthesensualslideofhistongueagainsther
sex.

Feelgood?
“Uh-huh.Doitjustlikethat.”
He chuckled again, the faint vibration its own sort of torture. Then he attacked her clit with his

tongue,circlingandflickinguntilsheteeteredonthebrinkoforgasm.

She didn’t move, didn’t dare breathe for fear of him pulling away. Please. She whispered in his

mind, and his lips closed around the tender bud, sucking just hard enough to send her senses flying.
Pleasureblastedthroughher,draggingastartledcryfromherthroat.

He surged up and over her, filling her so forcefully that it triggered another orgasm, or more like

prolongedthefirst,untilshewastremblingwithoverstimulation.

Heheldthebacksofherknees,keepingheropenashethrustfastandhardbetweenherthighs.His

phitonsblazedlikefire,castingaredglowacrosshisfeatures.Ifshehadn’tbeenabletofeelthewarmth
ofloveinhismind,hisappearancewouldhavefrightenedher.Hisfeaturesweretwisted,mouthsnarling
ashedrovedeeperanddeeperintoherwillingflesh.

“Soclose,”hemuttered,eyestightlyshut.
Sheclosedhereyesaswell,concentratingonhisemotionsratherthanthestrugglesoapparentinhis

expression. Possessive desire curled around tenderness, and through the twisting intensity threaded joy.
Therewasnoexternalforcepowerfulenoughtotearthemapart,andanychallengetheyfacedtheywould
conquertogether.

Exaltedbytheirlove,shepushedheremotionsintohismindandsurrenderedtothestorm.Hecried

out, lost as release tore through him. She shattered just as suddenly, echoing his cry as pleasure pulsed
throughhermindandbody.

Theyclungtoeachother,driftingthroughthetinglingaftermathforendlessmoments.
“Thatwas…”
“Wild,”shefinishedforhim.
“Andthensome.”
Shesavoredtheemotionsstillswirlingaroundandthroughher,thenastrongprickleerupteddeepin

herabdomen.“Wasthat…?Didyoufeelthat?”

“Idid.”Hebentdownandkissedhertenderly.“Mymotherwillbeoverjoyed.”
“ThenitreallywaswhatIthoughtitwas.We’regoingtohaveababy?”
“The spark of life was undeniable, but not every pregnancy takes. We’ll know for certain in a few

days.”

Shetouchedhisfaceastearsblurredhervision.“I’mscared.WhyamIsoscared?”
He kissed her again, flooding her mind with warmth and affection. “You’re not alone, love. I’ll be

withyoueverystepoftheway.”

She nodded, pushing the fear to the back of her mind. She hadn’t realized how much she wanted a

babyuntilshe’dfeltthesparkoflife.“I’mhavingababy,”shewhispered,barelyabletobelieveherown

words.

“We’rehavingababy,”hestressed,thenkissedheragain.

ChapterTen

Thefollowingdaydawnedcloudyandcold,aportentofthingstocome.Vox’strainingclasswason

holduntilRaylondecidedonanewlocation,sothenewlybondedcouplelingeredinbedformostofthe
day.Theymadeloveoverandover,neitherabletosatetheirhungerforeachother.Thelifesparkthey’d
both sensed never wavered and each became progressively more confident that they were going to be
parents.

“I’mdyingtotellLexie,”Emilyconfessedastheysatatthesmalltableinthemainroomofthecabin

toeatthedinnerRachelsentdownfromthebighouse.“Howlongdoweneedtowait?”

“Itwouldbewisetowaitatleasttwoweeks,amonthwouldbeevenbetter.”
“Idon’tthinkI’lllastamonth,”shelamented.“I’mtooexcited.”
Sheworeoneofhisshirtsandhadoneofherlegstuckedupunderher.Herhairwastousledandfaint

smudges shadowed her eyes. Still, she’d never looked more beautiful to him. “I’m excited too. I’m
shockedthatithappenedthisquickly.Iwouldhavebeenthrilledifyou’dconceivedwithinthefirstyear.”

“You said compatibility determines the strength of our attraction, so clearly we are extremely

compatible.”

He grinned. He’d wanted her desperately since the first time he saw her, so she had a valid point.

“Whateverthereason,I’lltakeit,gladly.”

They chatted casually for a while about the next video she and Lexie had planned and the people

Emily wanted to photograph, but all too soon his thoughts turned to home. He told her more about his
family and tried to describe what life was like at court. He didn’t want her to be completely shocked
whensheencounteredtheregimentedopulencethatdefinedhisuncle’sdomain.

“ThingswerenotquiteasbadwhenFatherwasincharge.IthinkUncleLotarusespalaceprotocolas

awayofhidinghisinsecurities.Ratherthanwaitingforpeopletovoluntarilydemonstratetheirrespect,
hedemandsshowsofdeferencefromeveryone.Theironyisitdiminisheshimevenmore.It’snosecret
thatthepeoplegreatlyprefermyfather,andyoucan’tblamethem.Hewasawiserandstrongerking.”

Shesmiled,tryingtohideheramusement,buttheirlinkmadethatimpossible.
“What’ssofunny?”
“Yousoundedsuspiciouslylikeaproudsonforaminutethere.Doesyourfatherknowhowmuchyou

lovehim?’

“I like to think he does.” He sighed as old frustrations darkened his mood. His father was a hard,

domineeringperson.Eventheslightestdeviationfromhischosenpathwasnottolerated.

“Buthemakesithardtotellsometimes?”
“Very.” He pushed away his plate and stood. “I need to take a shower. My meeting with Marsden

shouldn’ttakelong,butIneedtogetready.”

“I’lleitherhangouthereandwatchTVorgouptothebighouseandvisitwithRachel.”
Hetensed,unabletohidehisdispleasure.“I’dratheryouweren’talone.”
Shesmiledagain.“I’llgoseeRachel.”
“Thankyou.”
Theyshoweredtogetherbuteachwascarefultokeeptheirtouchessoothing.Hefinishedfirstandleft

hertofinishupwhilehedressedforthemeeting.

“I’mheadingout,”hecalledashorttimelater.Thewaterhadstopped,butshe’dyettoemergefrom

thebathroom.

Sheopenedthedoorandblewhimakiss.“Goodluck.”
“I’llmeetyouatthebighousewhenI’mfinished,”heemphasized,wantingtomakesuresheintended

togothere.

“Yes,dear.I’mheadedupthereassoonasI’mdressed.”
Noddingoncetoacknowledgeherimpatience,hethenteleportedoutofthecabin.Ifanythingupset

her, for any reason, he’d sense it. Still, knowing his child was taking shape inside her compounded his
concern.

He materialized in an alley beside the Charter Club. Boulder was a college town, so many of the

nightclubscateredtoayoungercrowd.He’dchosenthislocationforitslaidbackenvironmentandolder
clientele. Listening, and scanning, he cautiously approached the end of the alleyway. A small group of
tipsyfemaleshadjustexitedthefrontdoors,buttheywereheadedintheoppositedirection.Hewaited
untiltheydisappearedaroundtheoppositecornerbeforehestartedforthedoor.

Ittookamomentforhiseyestoadjusttothediminterior,butheeasilyspottedMarsdensittingalone

inaboothnearthebackofthebar.Marsdenspottedhimjustasquicklyandliftedhischiningreeting.Vox
lookedaroundashecrossedthefloor,scanningaswellassearchingforanythingoutofsorts.Therewere
twopooltablesandatinydancefloor,butneitherwereinuseatthemoment.

“Enjoyedourreunionsomuchyouhadtohavemore?”AwrysmiletwistedonecornerofMarsden’s

mouthasVoxslidontotheseatacrossfromhim.Thehumanwasdressedinjeansandapullovershirt,but
he still looked military. His brown hair was too short and his green gaze too sharp for any other
profession.Hewasholdingabottleofbeer,yetheappearedanythingbutrelaxed.

“Dotheykeepyouonashortleash,orareyouabletomakedecisions?”Thequestionwasslightly

provoking,butsowasMarsden.

“Dependsonthedecision.Doyouhaveaproposalforme?”
Marsdenhadalwaysbeenano-nonsensesortofsoldier,soVoxgotrighttothepoint.“Underwhat

circumstanceswillyourhigher-upsallowthetransformationprogramtocontinue?”

“Theywantfinalapprovalovereveryapplicationandhumanscientistssuperviseeachprocedure.”
Voxshookhishead.“HumanscientistsknownothingaboutRodytephysiology,andevenlessabout

geneticengineering.Howaretheygoingtosupervisesomethingtheydon’tunderstand?”

“Iguesssuperviseisthewrongword,”Marsdensaid.“My‘higher-ups’wantunrestrictedaccessto

alltheresearcheverystepoftheway.”

“Unlikely.”
Marsdendismissedtheobjectionwithashrug.“It’snonnegotiable.Thosearetheonlytermsthey’ll

consider.Takeitortryyourluckwithanothercountry.Butremember,onefemaledisappearsoffUSsoil
andwe’reatwar.Noexceptions.”

Voxnodded.“I’llletmysideknow.”Hestartedtoleave,butMarsdenstoppedhim.
“Aren’tBilarriandRodymiaatwar?Ithoughtyouwereswornenemies.Howdidyougetmixedup

inthis?”

“It’s a long story.” He was tempted to say more, but it was already clear that Marsden had no

autonomy.Theycouldhavebeenbestfriends,brotherseven,anditwouldn’thavemadeadifference.The
USgovernmentwasdeterminedtocontroltheprogramandGarinwouldneverletthathappen.“Sufficeit
to say that both planets are tired of the fighting and the senseless sacrifice. What did you offer Kage
Razel?”

Marsdenreachedforhisbeer.“I’mnotatlibertytosay.”
Iftheconversationcontinued,Voxhadnodoubthe’dbehearingalotofthat.“Suityourself.I’llbein

touch.”

*****

“Absolutelynot,”Garinsaidwithashakeofhishead.
RatherthanreturningtoLunarNinewithmorebadnews,VoxcollectedEmilyfromStargazerRanch,

thenteleportedtoRodymia.Hedecidedavisithomewasoverdue,soRodymiawasmoreorlessonthe
way.

It was easy to forget that the leader of the rebellion was actually a member of the Rodyte elite.

However, the elegant mansion, to which Garin directed them, was a powerful reminder of Garin’s
pedigreeandfamilywealth.They’dbeenintroducedtoGarin’smate,Berlynn,butthelovelyblondeleft
thestylishsalonbeforetheirconversationbegan.EmilysatbesideVoxonthesofawhileGarinfacedthem
inatall-backedchair.

“Whatotherchoicedoyouhave?”Voxdidn’twanttopissoffthenewlypromotedapexgeneral,but

the rebellion’s choices were shrinking with alarming speed. “Marsden made it clear that they will not
compromise.”

“We’llhavetothinkofsomethingbecausehumanscannothaveopenaccesstoourresearch.It’stoo

dangerous. This process would be much too easy to weaponize. The formula creates a controlled
mutation,butifthatmutationisnotmeticulouslycontrolledtheresultsarecatastrophic.Withafewsimple
changes the formula could become a devastating bio weapon. Both our planets are more than ready for
peace,whilemanyonEartharestillspoilingforafight.”

“Earth is filled with human females,” Emily pointed out. “Maybe a different country will be more

accommodating.”

AgainGarinshookhishead.“IthastobetheUS.”
Voxdidn’tthinkGarinwasjustbeingstubborn,soheasked,“Why?”
“Tandori Tribe inadvertently stacked the deck for us. Do you know about their sacred bonding

grounds?”

VoxshookhisheadandglancedatEmily.Shelookedjustasconfused.
“Tomaintaintheirabilitytomanipulatemagic,TandoriTribehascontrolledeveryelementoftheir

genepool.OneoftheirstrategiesistodraweverypersonwithcompatibleDNAtocertainareasintheUS
whenthey’rephysicallyreadyforamate.”

Vox had to expand the concept to those outside Tandori Tribe before he comprehended the

importance.“TheseareasintheUSaresaturatedwithhumanscompatiblewithRodyteDNA?”

“Which means they’re compatible with Bilarrian DNA, as you quickly found out.” Garin motioned

towardEmilytomakesureVoxunderstood.

“Sothechancesoffindingcompatiblefemalesinanothercountrywouldbegreatlydiminished.”
Garin nodded. “We did some random testing to see how much difference the Tandori spell makes.

The results were shocking. The ratio dropped from one in ten to one in thirteen thousand in England.
EthiopiaandPortugalwereevenworse.”

“Damn,”Voxmuttered.
“Mythoughtsexactly,”Garinsaid.“We’restuckwiththeUSgovernmentwhetherwelikeitornot.”
“Thenwehavetofindawayaroundtheirstipulation.”Voxwasstatingtheobvious,buthecouldn’t

thinkofasinglesuggestion.

“Everyfemalewillbeawillingvolunteer.Raylonunderstandsthatstipulationandit’snevergoingto

change.TheTriadisasadamantasIam.”

“Idon’tthinkfindingwillingfemalesisgoingtobeaproblem,”Emilysaid.“RachelandIdidsome

checking while Vox was talking to Marsden. The video has gone viral. It already has several million
viewsacrosssocialmediachannelsandit’sbeenlivelessthantwenty-fourhours.Idon’tknowhowmany
oftheapplicationswillbeapproved,butsixthousandwomenfilledouttheforms,andagainthisisinless
thanoneday.”

“SohowdowegetthefemalestoLunarNinewithoutstartingawar?”Voxasked.
“They can’t go directly to Lunar Nine,” Garin insisted. “We’ll use one of the ships as the new

processingcenter.”

“VisitorCenter,”Emilysuggestedwithalaugh.“Youmakeussoundlikesausage.”
“Visitor Center,” Garin agreed. “The orientation and interviews will be done at the Visitor Center

andonlythoseacceptedbythepanelandwillingtosignthesix-monthcontractwillbeallowedonLunar
Nine.”

“Allthatsoundsgood,buthowdowegetthemfromUSsoiltotheVisitorCenter?”Voxpersisted.

“Evenifthefemalesarewilling,theUSMilitarywillconsideritanactofwar.”

“Wedon’t,”Emilysaidemphatically.“Wehireacompany,orcompanies,toshuttlethevolunteersout

intointernationalwatersandthenwepickthemupfromthere.There’snoreasonforanotherRodytetoset
footonUSsoil.Atleast,noreasonwe’recreating.”

Garinstaredoffintothedistance,likelythinkingofpossiblecomplications.“Assoonastheyrealize

whatwe’redoing,they’llshutitdown.”

“So we change the point of departure with each group and randomly change the companies,” Vox

suggested.“There’salotofcoastlineforustouse.Aslongaswestayonestepaheadofthem,itshould
work.”

“I’llthinkitover.”GarinlookedatEmilyandsmiled.“It’sacleverapproach.”
“Well,we’llletyougetbacktowhateveryouweredoingbeforeweinterrupted.Areyougoingtofill

inRaylonorshouldIcontacthim?”

“Areyouheadedhome?”GarinaskedandVoxnodded.“Thengo.I’lltakecareofRaylon.”Againhis

assessinggazeshiftedtoEmily.“Goodluck.RememberwhatItoldyouabouttheTandorispell.Itmight
helpyouwithyourfather.”

“We’re on the same page,” Vox assured him. “Earth seems to be the answer to a number of our

challenges.Beingthefirsttocreateanalliancewithhumanswillgiveusapoliticaladvantage.”

Garinchuckled.“Ihopeyourfatherseesitthatway.Thanksagainforallyourhelp.Iknowwe’ve

imposedonyoufarbeyondyouroriginalcommitment,andIappreciateit.”

VoxclaspedwristswithGarin,thendrewEmilyintohisarmsandsethissightsonhome.

*****

Emily turned around in a slow circle stunned beyond words. The carousel garden should have

preparedherfortheopulenceofVox’shome,butshewasstillreeling.They’dteleportedtohissuiteinthe
palace,oroneofthepalaces.AccordingtoVox,therewerefour.Themainlivingareawasn’thuge,but
the high, sculpted ceiling and intricate, gleaming floor showcased his family’s wealth and privilege. A
sofaandthreematchingchairshadbeenarrangedaroundthemassivefireplace,whileasmalltableand
chairs sat near a window overlooking a garden and the sprawling park beyond. The room had been
decorated in blue and gold, always gold. Even on Earth, homes of the ultra-rich were filled with or at
leastaccentedingold.Everythingwasimmaculateandperfectlyplaced.

Likeamuseum.SheglancedatVox,hopinghehadn’theardhergrumblingthought.“It’slovely.”
He laughed. “A lovely museum?” He drew her hand to his lips and kissed it. “You don’t have to

pretendwithme.Iknowthisseemswastefultoyou.”

Wasteful was the perfect word to describe her impression. She couldn’t help but think of all the

people who could have been fed and all the medicine that could have been dispensed if palaces on
numerousplanetswerealittlelessostentatious.“Ihateit,butIloveyou.”

Hebrushedatenderkissoverherlips.“AndIloveyou.”
Asudden,firmknockingstartledEmilyandsnappedherheadtowardthearcheddoubledoorsacross

theroom.

“Thatdidn’ttakelong,”Voxmutteredashewenttoanswertheknock.
Hepulledthedooropenandayoungbrunetteflewintohisarmswithanexcitedsqueal.“Whydidn’t

youtellanyoneyouwerereturning?Wewereallscaredwitlesswhenweheardyou’dbeensosick.”

“I’mfinenow.DidFatherneglecttosharethatpieceofinformation?”
He’dsaid“Father”,notmyfather.Wasthisoneofhissisters?Herupswepthairwasdarkbrownwith

ahintofred,mahogany,Emilysupposed.ButmanyBilarrianshadredphitons.Still,theregalelegance
EmilyhadnoticedinVoxwaspresentinthefemaleaswell.Sheworeacolumndressofrichcopperwith
a subtle tone-on-tone pattern and matching high-heeled pumps. The outfit, like the woman, was
understatedandstylish.

Vox motioned their visitor into the room and closed the door. The young woman’s gaze landed on

Emilyandwidened.“Andwhoisthis?”

“ThisisEmilyofEarth,mymate.”Emilydidn’tappreciatebeingreferredtoas“this”repeatedlyand

shewasabouttosaysowhenVoxadded,Andthemotherofmychild, with a secretive smile. “Emily,
mayIintroducePrincessAlanza,mymiddlesister.”

Alanza moved closer, her red-ringed gaze boldly assessing. “There is no way in creation Father

knowsaboutthis.Hehascontactedhalfthefamiliesinourregiontoinformthemthatyou’refinallyinthe
marketforamate.”

“Iwasinthemarketforamate.Fortunately,Ifoundherandamdeliriouslyhappywithmychoice.”
TheirrudenesswasreallystartingtoirritateEmily,thenAlanzasmiledandstuckoutherhand.“I’m

sogladtomeetyou.AndI’lldoanythingIcantohelpwinoverFather.”

Emily shook the princess’s hand and let her irritation fade. They needed all the allies they could

muster.“Thankyou.Weknowit’sgoingtobeanuphillbattle.”

“Vox has always been the only one who could stand up to Father and survive. Get Mother on your

sideandyou’llbefine.”Sheturnedbacktoherbrother.“You’reinluck,bytheway.Fatherisawayfrom
thepalacerightnow,butMotherisinthelibrary.Fatherissupposedtoreturntomorrowmorning,soit’s
nowornever.”

Voxnodded,butdidn’treply.
AlanzalookedatEmilyagain,hergazemovingratherrudelyoverEmily’sfigure.“We’reaboutthe

samesize.I’llsendoversomegowns.Youcan’tbepresentedtoFatherlikethat.”

Vox had said something similar when Emily tried to pack a bag for this trip. He’d told her not to

bother,thatthey’dbothneednewclothesbeforeconfrontinghisfather.Nowsherealizedthathis“new”
clothes would likely come from his own closet, while everything she owned was unacceptable in this
setting.

“Thankyou.”Shetriednottoletherembarrassmentshow,butthepityinAlanza’seyestoldhershe’d

failed.

Clearly more comfortable talking with her brother, Alanza turned back to him as she said, “I don’t

meantoberude,butsheneedstochangebeforeyoutakehertoMothertoo.Heroutfitsendsthewrong
message.”

“Webothunderstand.Gogetthegowns.Idon’twantMothertogotobed.”
Humiliatedtothecore,Emilywalkedtothewindowandstaredoutacrossthemanicuredgardenand

lushturquoiselawn.Tall,leafytreescreatedamajesticperimeterbeyondthegrass,buttheleaveswere
orangeandblue,morevividthananythingonEarth.ItamazedherthatBilarriwassosimilartoEarthand
yetsounique.Liketheinhabitants.Atfirstglance,mostBilarrianslookedhuman,butacloserinspection
revealedtheshapeoftheireyesandtheemotion-responsivephitons.

Vox came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Appearances are ridiculously

importanthere.Ihateittoo,butAlanzaisright.Ifwewantmyparentstoacceptyou,wehavetoplaythe
game.”

She turned around in a tight enough circle to remain within his arms. “I hate games and generally

avoidpeoplewhoinsistonplayingthem.Iwantyourfamilytoacceptme,butthissortofthingdrivesme

crazy.”

“I’msorry.”Hesighedandfrustrationrippledacrosstheirlink.“I’dchangethemifIcould,butthisis

thelifeintowhichIwasborn.”

“Iknow,andI’mtrying.”
Alanza returned a few minutes later followed by a small procession of servants. Emily stood back

andwatchedastheydepositedamoundoffancyclothes,footwearandundergarments.She’dborrowed
garments from Lexie and friends, but she’d always cringed at the thought of wearing someone else’s
underwear.

NoticingthedirectionofEmily’stroubledgaze,Alanzasaid,“Allthefoundationgarmentsarenew.I

sent my assistant out for them. And these three dresses have never been worn either.” She pointed to a
separatestack.“Whydon’tyoustartthere?”

Her thoughtfulness, and generosity, made Emily feel guilty for not being more excited. “Thank you,

forallofthis.It’sreallysweet.”

“I love shopping, so when you’re ready to move on from these just let me know.” She gave Vox a

quickhugthenhurriedtheservantsfromtheroom.“I’llgotothelibraryandmakesureMotherdoesn’t
leave.”

Voxthankedher,andthensawhertothedoor.
“Are you sure this can’t wait until morning?” Emily moved to the sofa, now buried beneath a

mountainofclothes.“I’mreallynotinthemood.”

“WeneedmymotheronoursideandtheeasiestwaytomakethathappenistotalktoherwhenFather

isn’taround.”

“Iknow.I’mjusttired.”Andafraid.Ifheheardherthought,hedidn’treacttoit.Sheheldupthenew

dressesoneatatime.TwoweresleevelesscolumndressessimilartotheoneAlanzahadbeenwearing,
butthethirdhadshortsleevesandpeplumatthewaist.Thetopwasgray-bluewhilethenarrowskirtwas
closer to navy. A wide belt with a gold buckle further accented the waist without distracting from the
garmentscleanlines.“Whatdoyouthinkofthisone?”

“Anyofthemwilllookbeautifulonyou.Howcantheynot?”
Sheshothimanimpatientglare.“That’ssweet,butnothelpful.”Knowingtheyneededtogetmoving,

shetookoffherclothesandputontheborroweddress.Therewasn’tamirrorinthelivingroom,soshe
walkedintothebedroom,andstaggeredtoastopjustinsidethedoor.

Thebedroomwasevenmoreluxuriousthantheouterroom.Theceilingwasslightlydomedwitha

lavish battle scene painted on the concave surface. And the focal point of the room was an oversized
canopy bed. The monstrosity was draped in sapphire blue and sat on a two-step dais. Who the hell
wantedtofeelliketheywereondisplaywhiletheyslept?

“Unbelievable,”shewhisperedasshewanderedfartherintotheroom.Again,shefeltasifshewere

touringamuseumofsomeancientking’soverblownegotrip.

Shaking away her disgust, she dragged her attention away from the bed and looked around for the

mirrorVoxhadsaidwasinhere.

“It’sthroughthere,”Voxtoldherfromthedoorway.
Shemovedtothedoorhe’dindicatedandwalkedintoaclosetlargerthananybedroomshe’dever

inhabited.Shelves,multi-levelclothingracks,andbuilt-indrawerslinedthewalls.Onecornercontained
aclusterofmirrorsarrangedtodisplayeveryconceivableangle.

Feeling horribly out of place, she went and stood in the middle of the mirror array. The dress

flatteredherfigureandbroughtouttheblueinhereyes.Herhairwasamessandshelookedasexhausted
asshefelt,butshelikedthedress.

“Give me a few minutes to do something with my hair and I’ll call it good.” She sighed and then

lookedathim.“IfYourRoyalHighnessapproves,ofcourse.”

Hemovedupbesideherwithaplayfulgrowl.“HisRoyalHighnessprefersyounaked.”
“Well,Iwouldratherbenakedandinbedwithyouthanwherewe’regoing.”
He took her face between his hands and gently tilted her head back. “Mother would have loved

whomeverIchosebecauseshelovesmeandwantsmetobehappy.Butyou’resomuchmorethansome
random female. You’re smart and ambitious, funny when you let yourself smile, and you’ve been brave
andcompetentinsomeverydangeroussituations.Motherwillloveyoubecauseyou’reamazing.”

Warmedbyhispraise,andhistouch,shenoddedthenkissedhim.
Twenty minutes later they walked hand-in-hand down a column-lined hallway. The floors were

polishedmarble,orwhateverBilarrianstonelookedjustlikemarble.Herborrowedshoespinchedher
toes and the heels were higher than she would have chosen, but she was neat and presentable. Vox had
changedintoanoutfitonlyslightlydifferentthantheonehe’dbeenwearing.Thefrontpanelofthetunic
wasquiltedaswellasembroideredandhe’dfastenedathin,loopingbeltaroundhisleanhips.

“DoIneedtoboworcurtsyorwhat?”Shefeltlessandlessincontrolwitheachstepshetook.
“AproperBilarriangreetingcantakeweekstoperfect.You’rehuman.Greetherasyouwouldany

humanyoujustmet.It’snotconsideredrudeforanoff-worlder.”

Guardssnappedtoattentionastheyapproachedandoneofthemopenedthelibrarydoor.Emilytried

reallyhardnottoreacttotheroom,butitwasimpressive.Bookshelves,packedwithbooks,linedevery
wall and the library was three stories tall. “Is this place open to the public?” she whispered and Vox
shookhishead.“Thisismymother’sprivatecollection.”

Whatatragicwaste.Knowledgeshouldbeshared.
“Thereyouare,”Alanzacalledfromthefarsideofthelargeroom.“ItoldMotheryouwerecoming,

butwe’djustaboutgivenup.”

EmilylookedfromAlanzatothewomanseatedonherright.Thewomanslowlystood,herdarkeyes

locked on Emily. The queen’s phitons were gold and her hair was auburn. How strange. Emily had
thoughtBilarrianswerealldark-headedlikeRodytes.Therewasnodenyingthequeenwasbeautiful,but
Emilysawonlysuspicionandjudgmentinhereyes.

“Whathaveyoudone?”Shedidn’tshiftherpiercinggazefromEmily,butthequestionwasclearly

meantforVox.

“I’ve done what I said I would do.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and urged her nearer.

“I’vesettleddownandfoundamate.”

That snapped her gaze to him and she did not look amused. “You cannot create an official joining

withoutLoriet’spermission.Allroyalunionsmustbeapprovedbythecrown.”

“Well,he’llhavetoapproveourunionafterthefact,becauseI’vealreadyclaimedher.AndIwillnot

giveherup.”

Heretheywentagain,talkingaboutherlikeshewasn’tthere.Emilytwistedoutofhisembraceand

approached the queen. “Emily Jenson, or Loriet. I’m not sure how Bilarrians deal with the last name
thing.”Thenshestuckoutherhandandheldherbreath.

Thequeenlookedather,atVox,thenbackather.“YourconnectiontoVoxisobvious.Howwasit

accomplished? Did the Rodytes alter your DNA? How was my son able to claim you? Or is your
appearancemisleading?Areyouhuman?”

Emilyloweredherhand.Obviouslyshewasgoingtobehardertowinoverthanhermiddledaughter.

“Yes,I’mhuman.Mygeneticshavenotbeenmodified,exceptbymyjoiningwithVox.Manyhumansare
naturallycompatiblewithotherspecies.AndVoxandIloveeachother,sothebondformednaturally.”

Herlipsparted,thencolordrainedfromherfaceandshesankbackontoherchair.“Yourfatherwill

neverforgiveyouforthis.”ShesoundedsohurtthatEmilyfelttearsburnherthroat.

Vox knelt at his mother’s side and gathered her hands between his. “Did you hear what Emily told

you? We are mates. I was genetically compatible with a human and it’s quite likely that some of our

peoplewhohavebeenunabletofindtheirmatecouldfindoneonEarth.Thiswillbeasecondchancefor
somany.Noonewillspeakofit,butweallknowitgetsharderwitheachgeneration.”

“Thiscouldbeasecondchanceforme,”Alanzapointedout.“AllVoxhasdoneisbringhopebackto

Bilarri.Howcananyoneobjecttothat?”

Thequeentookadeepbreathandregainedhercomposure,thensheheldoutherhandtowardEmily.

“Iapologizeformyrudeness.IfVoxhadgivenmethesmallesthintofwhatwashappening,Iwouldhave
beenmoregracious.MynameisCessa.”

Emily shook her hand and smiled. “Cessa is a beautiful name, but I suspect that is not how I’m

supposedtoaddresstheQueenoftheFireIslands.”

“Then call me Mother.” Cessa finally smiled. “You’re Vox’s mate, so no one can object to that.”

EmilystartedtopullherhandbackwhenCessa’seyeswidened.ShedrewEmilycloseraswonderfilled
herexpression.“Youarewithchild.”

“She’swhat?”Alanzawasthereinaninstant.“You’repregnant,already?Howisthatpossible?”She

lookedatherbrotherasifhe’dbetrayedher.“Whendidyouclaimher?”

“Yesterday,orwasitthedaybefore?It’sallablur.”
“This is extraordinary.” Very slowly, Cessa placed her hand on Emily’s abdomen. “There is no

mistake.Alifesparkhastakenrootwithinyourwomb.”

“IthinkI’llbevisitingmybrotheroftenduringhisstayonEarth,”Alanzainsisted.
CessasnatchedherhandbackandlookedatVox.“You’renotbackforgood?”
“Notyet.Thereismuchstilltodo.Ijustcametosharethewonderfulnews.”
“Thensitandlet’sstrategize,”Cessaurged.“Itwilltakeallfourofusworkingtogetherifwehopeto

convinceyourfatherthatthisnewsiswonderful.”

ChapterEleven

Bytenthefollowingmorning,VoxandEmilyweredressedandreadyforbattle,buttheywereboth

too anxious to eat. Someone, likely Queen Cessa, had arranged for a tray to be delivered but it sat
untouchedonthetable.

“Youlookbeautiful,”VoxtoldEmilyassheemergedfromthedressingroomforthesecondtime.“I

likethisdressevenbetterthantheother.”

Shelookeddownattheankle-lengthskirtasshemovedfromsidetoside,causingthecolorstoshift

and shimmer. Red, blue, green and gold swirled across the fabric in abstract patterns. “The material is
hypnotizing. Maybe that will help.” She’d paired the skirt with a simple ivory blouse and flat slip-on
shoes.Boththeunderstatedstyleandthecolorfulfabricsuitedherperfectly.

WhentheylearnedthatVoxhadbeensummonedtoappearbeforeKingLotarandMasterFire,Emily

hadtochooseamoreformalgown.He’dwarnedherthatthethroneroomwashugeandechoeybydesign.
Theroomwasmeanttointimidatethosebroughtbeforetheking,sotheyhadtorememberthattheywere
goingtospeakwithUncleLotarandVox’sfather,regardlessofthesetting.

“Yourmotheragreednottosayanything.”Emilysmootheddownherskirtonelasttimethenlookedat

him.“Doyouthinkshekeptherword?I’mnotsureIcouldkeepsomethingthisimportantfromyou.”

“Sheknowsitwillworktoouradvantageifwesticktotheplan.Andthatrequiresusbringingthem

alongonestepatatime.”

“Doyouthinkitwillwork?”
They’ddiscussedstrategyafterstrategythenightbefore,dismissingeachuntiltheywereallreadyto

scream. Finally, a simple, focused plan took shape that everyone agreed had the best chance of
succeeding.

“Timewilltell.”Hegaveheraquick,reassuringkissthensatontheedgeofthebedsohecouldpull

onhisboots.

Theydidn’thavelongtowait.Afewminuteslater,aguardtappedonthedoorandannouncedthat

theywerewantedinthethroneroom.Theyfollowedtheguard,silentandtense.Thistimetheydidn’thold
hands.Theydidn’twantKingLotarorAwred,Vox’sfather,torealizetheywereacoupleuntilthey’dbeen
shownthewisdomofsuchamatch.

Remember,neitherofthemcantouchyou.Wecan’triskthemsensingourbonduntilwe’rereadyto

revealit.Voxfeltfoolishremindingher.They’dgoneovertheplanahundredtimes,buttheominousecho
oftheirfootfallswasdrivinghimcrazy.

Iremember,love.Relax.We’vegotthis.
Howcouldshebesocalm?He’dbeentrainedbyguildmasters,andhe’dfoughtinmanybattles,yet

his mate was reassuring him. It was enough to shame Vox into composure and make him love his feisty
littlemateevenmore.

The massive doors were pulled open as they approached and Vox watched Emily react to her first

lookatthethroneroom.Longandnarrow,withsoaringceilingsandthicksculptedcolumns,theroomhad
onlyonepurpose,tomakethewalktowardthethroneasuncomfortableaspossible.Visitorsoutoffavor
withthekingwereoftenleftstandingintheantechamberforhoursbeforetheywerebroughttothethrone
room,soVoxsupposedtheywerelucky.

VoxmatchedhisstridestoEmily’sshorterones,buthedidn’tdaretouchher.Still,hesentaffection

and warmth across their link and she responded with the same. His uncle sat on the throne, looking
haughty,asalways,inhisjeweledtunicandthigh-highboots.Vox’sfatherwaslessconspicuous,yeteven
more intimidating. He stood to the right of the throne, refusing to sit on the lesser throne traditionally
reservedforthequeen.Awredworesomberrobesofcharcoalgray,aheavygolddreldornhisonlyshow

of wealth. The intricate amulet marked his position as guild master and was designed by the royal
goldsmithforeachnewMasterFire.

WiththehelpofCessaandAlanza,EmilyhadlearnedasimplifiedversionoftheBilarriangreeting

for females. They reached the end of the walkway and Emily perfectly executed the graceful maneuver.
Vox’sheartswelledwithprideandhope.Hehadchosenwell.“MayIpresentEmilyJensonofEarth?She
representsthehumanregionofRockyMountainsfromthestateofColorado.”

Unfamiliar with such an unusual introduction, Lotar looked at his brother for guidance. Awred

whisperedsomethingVoxcouldn’thearandthenthekingsaid,“WelcometotheFireIslands.IamKing
LotarandthisismybrotherMasterFire.”

“Thankyouforallowingmyvisit.Thisisagreathonor.”
Awredmovedtotheedgeofthedais,toweringoverVox.Apparently,he’drathernotspendtheentire

morningspeakingthroughhisbrother.“You’vereturnedearlierthanIexpected.Areyoubackforgood?”

“I am not,” Vox stressed. He wanted that clear from the beginning. “There was a significant

developmentonEarthandIfeltitimportantenoughtodelivertheupdateinperson.”

AwredlookedatEmilysuspiciously,butsaidonly,“Proceed.”
“Aswe’reallwellaware,ithasbecomemoredifficultwitheachgenerationforourpeopletofind

potentialmates.”

Awred dismissed the statement with an impatient wave. “Many have formed life-long relationships

withoutthebenefitofgeneticcompatibility.Wechooseourmates.Wearenotslavestoourgeneticslike
Rodytes.”Hespitouttheenemy’snameasifitwerepoison.

“Theconceptisadeflection,”Voxargued.“Wesettleforlessthanwe’remeanttohavebecauseso

oftenthereisnootherchoice.Bilarrianswere—andstillare—meanttobesoulbondedwiththeirmate.”

After subjecting Emily to another hostile look, Awred asked Vox, “What does this have to do with

your trip to Earth? You told me you’re training battle born soldiers and their mates. Is this no longer
true?”

“Trainingisstillmyprimarypurpose.However,Irecentlybecameawareofaphenomenonofwhich

Ihadnoknowledgewhenwelastspoke.It’sthisphenomenonthatbroughtmehome.”

“Thengettothepoint.”Hemeanderedbacktohisoriginalpositionbesidethethrone.“Ihaveabusy

scheduletoday.”

“I was under the impression that the Rodyte rebels were altering females, making them compatible

withthebattlebornsoldiers.Iwaswrong.Thecompatibilityisnatural.They’refindingpotentialmatesat
anextraordinaryrate.Someofthesefemalesarecompatiblewithmultiplemales,andImeanfiftyormore
nottwoorthree.WhenisthelasttimethathappenedonBilarri?”Hisfather’sgazenarrowed.Voxhadhis
fullattentionnow.

“Are you implying that these females are genetically compatible with Bilarrians as well?” Awred

sounded doubtful. “Yes, we started out as the same species, but there are now distinct differences
betweenBilarriansandRodytes.”

“I’mnotimplyinganything.Icanproveit.”
“Areonlyfemalesinvolvedinthisphenomenon?”thekingwantedtoknow.“Manyofourfemalesare

anxiousforcompatiblematesaswell.”

“I’m only aware of females.” It wasn’t a complete lie. Garin had indicated that the Tandori spell

attracted both sexes, but so far there had only been females at Lunar Nine. “You must understand this
programisinitsinfancy.Iamnotsuggestingwepackupallourfrustratedsinglesandshipthemoverto
Earth. I would not even share the possibility beyond this room at this point. I think we should watch
carefullyandseehowthingsprogressforthebattleborn.”

AwredstaredbackatVoxincontemplativesilence,whileLotartookovertheconversation.“We’ve

alsoheardofaformulathatallowsRodytestoprocreatewithoutasoulbond.Isthereanyvaliditytothat

rumor?”

“Such a formula exists, but the results are problematic. Its use is dangerous and the outcome is

unpredictable.Naturalcompatibilityisamuchbetteroption.That’swhytheRodyteshaveabandonedits
use.”

“You said you had proof that some humans are compatible with Bilarrians,” Awred reminded him.

“Explain.”

“IamgeneticallycompatiblewithEmily.”Voxwatchedhisfatherclosely,waitingforareaction.
Awred’s expression didn’t change, but he turned suddenly and descended the steps leading down

fromthechest-highdais.ThenheapproachedVoxdirectly.“Youknowthisoryoususpect?”

“Weknow,”Voxsaidemphatically.HelookedatEmily,allowingaffectiontowarmhisgaze.
AwredmovedinfrontofEmily.“Wasanythingdonetoyourgeneticstomakeyoucompatiblewithmy

son?”

“No,MasterFire,theconnectionwasnaturalandintense.”Voxhadwarnedhertoremainquietunless

shewasaskedadirectquestion.Sheseemedrelievedtojointheconversationatlast.“AndIcanconfirm
thatthesameistrueofallthebattlebornbrides.OneismybestfriendandIhavespokenwithseveral
others.Nothingwasdonetoanyofthemuntilaftertheircompatibilitywasestablished.”

“Fascinating.”Herubbedhischin,gazelockedonEmily’sface.
Afteralong,thoughtfulpause,Awredsteppedback,positioninghimselfsohecouldseebothEmily

andVox.“Howfarareyoutwowillingtotakethis?Formingatangibleconnectionwithahumanfemaleat
thisearlystagecouldbebeneficialinthelongrun,ifwhatyoubelieveturnsouttobetrue.”

Vox frantically fought back a triumphant grin. This was exactly what they’d hoped to accomplish.

Awred would agree to anything as long as he believed it was his idea. “I’m in love with her, Father.
Formingatangibleconnectionwillbemypleasure.”

Awred stilled and his gaze narrowed, then he reached down and grabbed Emily’s hand. For one

terrifyingmoment,Awredlookedfurious.Butgraduallyamusementerodedhisanger.“Youcleverboy.I
walkedrightintoit,didn’tI?”

“Whathavetheydone?”KingLotarstoodandmovedclosertotheedgeofthedais.
“They’realreadybonded.Voxskillfullyledmetotheconclusionheneededmetomake.Mysonhas

matedwithahuman,withoutyourpermissionImightadd.”

“ButifwhatVoxsaidistrue,thereisamuchlargerissuehere.”Foronceinhislife,thekingdidnot

followMasterFire’slead.Theywerebothpoliticalcreaturestothemarrowoftheirbones“Arehumans
reallygeneticallycompatiblewithBilarrians?”

“Not all of them,” Vox stressed. “In fact the percentage is quite small. But there are some who are

capableofcreatingchildrenwithBilarrians.”

“Isupposeyouhaveproofofthisclaimtoo?”Sarcasmdrippedoffeverysyllable.Clearlyhisfather

didn’tappreciatebeingmanipulated,evenifhe’dcometothesameconclusionashisson.

Emilycouldn’tholdbackhersmile.“Asamatteroffact,wedo.”
Awred’sjawdropped.“Areyou…”HelookedatVoxinshockedwonder.“Yourmateiswithchild?”
JoyfloodedVox’ssoul,makinghimfeelrestlessandeuphoric.Notonlyhadhisfatheracknowledged

thatEmily was Vox’smate, Awred seemedexcited about the possibility.“She is. Weare as shocked as
you that it happened this quickly, but Mother confirmed it for us.” He was careful not to say when the
confirmationtookplace.Hisfatherdidn’tneedtoknowthathalfofhisfamilyhadconspiredagainsthim.

“YoumustreturntoEarthandreporteverydevelopmenttome,”Awredconcluded.“Butbeforeyou

go,I’llneedsamplesofEmily’sDNAsoourscientistscanfigureouthowsuchathingispossible.”

“You’llhavetoaskmymateaboutthesamples.I’mnotmakingthatdecisionforher.”
Emily moved closer and looped her arm through his. There was no longer a reason to resist their

need to touch each other. Luckily, for Vox, Emily smiled at Master Fire and said, “I’ll gladly help. I’m

prettycuriousaboutitmyself.”

*****

The next three days passed in a blur of smiling faces and bustling activity. Everyone wanted to

congratulatethehappycouple,sotherewerereceptions,dinnersandpartiesallthreedays.WheneverVox
wascalledaway,AlanzaappearedtokeepEmilycompany.TheprincesswasfascinatedwithEarthand
wanted to hear all about Emily’s life before she met Vox. Emily quickly warmed to Alanza, genuinely
likingVox’svivacioussister.

Late the third night, Emily’s thoughts turned dark and melancholy. She knew she was just tired and

overwhelmed from all the lavish attention. Vox had taken her out onto his bedroom’s balcony the first
nightandthetranquilsettingquicklybecameEmily’sfavoriteplacetosneakawayandcatchherbreath.
Therailedplatformoverlookedtheformalgardenandthebreezewasoftenscentedwithflowers.

Hecameupbehindherandwrappedhisarmsaroundherwaist.“We’regoingtohavetorunaway,

mylove.Theinvitationsarenevergoingtostop.”

Ratherthanturnaround,shecontinuedtostareoutintothedarkness,feelinglostandrestless.“I’m

more than ready for a boring routine. Lexie needs my help more than ever. She sounded frantic when I
talkedtoherearlier.”

“I told my parents that we would likely be gone in the morning. They were disappointed, but they

understand.”Shedidn’trespondandthesilencequicklybecamestrained.Hegentlyturnedheraroundand
raisedherfaceuntilshelookedathim.“What’sthematter?Ithoughtyou’dbehappytogetawayfromall
ofthis.”

“‘Allofthis’isyourlife.It’smylifetoobecauseIloveyou.Wecan’trunawayforever.Allthiswill

bewaitingforuswhenwereturn.”Hesighedandfrustrationrolledacrosstheirlink.“Ididn’tsaythatto
upset you. I find elements of this place horrifying, but I’ve enjoyed myself more than I ever thought
possible.AslongasIfocusonthepeople,IknowIcanadjust.”

“Thenwhyareyousosad?I’vefeltyoursorrowbuildingforthelastfewhours.”
“It’s Rebecca. All this excitement about the new baby has made me think of my first pregnancy. I

wasn’t even allowed to admit that she existed. My mother made me lie to everyone. She made me feel
usedanddirty,likethelifegrowinginsidemewasevil.”

“Wecanperformtheelektrawnowifyouthinkitwillhelp,butIthoughtyouwouldwantyourfriends

andfamilythere.”

Shehesitated,debatingthealternatives.“TheonlyotherpersonI’dwantthereisLexieandIthinkit’s

moreimportantthatIdothisnow.Ican’tfullyembracemynewlifeuntilIletgoofmypast.”

“Icanaskoneofourprieststoofficiateorwecanhaveaprivateceremonywithjustus.”
“Just us. This doesn’t need to be long and drawn out. I just want some way of acknowledging her

existence.”

“Ihaveanidea.”Heheldouthisarmsandshemovedintohisembrace.
He teleported them to the carousel garden so the rushing sensation was barely noticeable. The

carousel stood motionless and dark, conserving the precious magical energy that animated the animals.
Voxactivatedthedevicewithamentalpulse,butmutedthemusic.“Sheneedsguardianstowatchover
her.Ithoughtthey’ddonicely.”

Atinglesliddownherspineandshequicklyblinkedbacktears.“Iagree.”
Thenhefoundalargedecorativerockandmovedittothefrontedgeoftheflowerbed.“Whatwas

herdateofbirth?”

Shetoldhim,quicklyrealizingwhatheintendedandgratitudeswelledherheart.Notonlywouldher

ravagedsoulfinallyhaveclosure,therewouldbeatangibleacknowledgementofRebecca’sfleetinglife.

He positioned the stone just so, then stood back and focused on the task. With one burst of fiery

energy,hecarvedthewords“InlovingmemoryofRebecca,June23

rd

–June23

rd.

Thoughhertimewithus

wasbrief,shewillneverbeforgotten”.

Overwhelmed by emotions too convoluted to name, Emily collapsed into Vox’s arms. She cried,

releasingthepastandemptyingherheartofallthenegativeemotions.

Longmomentslater,thefamiliartunedrewherbacktothepresent.Shelookedathermateandsaid,

“Thank you,” then turned toward the carousel. Colorful light pulsed all around the creatures as they
movedwithmesmerizinggrace.Itwassurrealandbeautiful,awonderlandfilledwithmysteryandlove.
“Thisisperfect.”

Rebeccawasfinallyatpeace.

*****

TheyreturnedtoLunarNinethefollowingmorningexhaustedbutcontent.RaylontoldVoxhe’dfound

a location he thought would work well for the training sessions. Rather than escort them to the site, he
gaveVoxthebuildingdesignationandsecuritycodes,thenencouragedthemtoexploreattheirleisure.

AsEmilyhadpredicted,thebuildingwasanabandonedwarehouse.Itwaseasilyaccessiblefromthe

residential villages, yet still protected by the higher security protocols in the commerce zone. Vox
unlockedthemainentrancewiththesecuritycode,thenledEmilyintothemakeshiftgym.

Themainfloorwaslargeandopen.Itwasn’tmuchtolookatesthetically,but—thankstoRaylonno

doubt—the building was well-lit and clean. Thick pads had been spread on the floor and the words
LockerRoomshadbeenpaintedonthewallabovetwodoorsatoneendoftherectangle-shapedroom.

“Ithaspotential,”Emilyencouragedhim.“It’snotfancy,butitdoesn’tneedtobe.”
Theycrossedthepaddedfloorandlookedinsideoneofthelockerrooms.Abankoflockershadbeen

installed along one wall, and three simple shower stalls and two toilets were now available in an
adjoiningroom.

“Thebattlebornmovefast.You’vegottogivethemthatmuch,”Voxsaidastheywenttocheckout

theotherlockerroom.Thelayoutwasdifferent,buttheamenitieswerethesame.Astheyexploredfurther,
they discovered two storage closets and a small kitchenette with a sink and refrigerator. “A beverage
kioskwouldbenice,butwecansurvivewithcansandbottles.”

“Ithinkthey’vedoneanamazingjob,”Emilysaid.“Wewereonlygoneafewdays.”
An office was located on the second floor with large windows overlooking the training area. Vox

pausedtotakeintheview,butEmilyopeneddoorsandlookedincabinets,hercuriosityinsatiable.

“Holy crap, there’s an apartment back here,” she cried as she disappeared through one of the

doorways.

Voxfollowedherintothelivingquarters,pleasantlysurprisedbytheopen,airyfeelofthefourroom

manager’ssuite.Itwasbarelyadequatebyhisfamily’sstandards,butfarsuperiortotheaccommodations
intheresidentialvillages.“Thisisactuallyprettynice,”heconcededafterlookingthroughallfourrooms.

“Waymorecomfortablethanmytinyapartment,”sheagreed.“Thefurniturelooksnewasdoallthe

linensandbedding.Ithinkthegovernoriskissinguptoyou.”

“He’skissinguptous.YouandLexiearejustasimportant,maybemore.”
“It’ssweetofyoutosayso,butwebothknowbetter.”Beforehecouldargue,shemotionedtoward

theadjoiningbathroom.“Itwillbeatightfit,butIthinkweshouldtryoutthetub.”

They’d promised to have dinner with Lexie and Kaden, but the reservation was still three hours

away.“Thatsoundsamazing.”

“Startthewater.I’llgograbachangeofclothesfortonight.”
He teleported to her apartment first and quickly picked out a comfortable-looking dress and the

personalitemsshe’dneedtocompleteherpreparations.Hereturnedtotheirnewhomeandhungthedress
in the closet, leaving everything else on a nearby table. Then he teleported to Stargazer Ranch and
gatheredwhathewouldneedforthenight.Bythetimehewalkedintothebathroom,Emilywasreclining
inthetub,ablanketofbubblesfloatingonthewater.

“Nowthat’sdisappointing,”hecomplained.
Shesatup,sudsywaterslidingoffherslickskin.Herlovelybreastscameintoview,firsthernipples

thanthecreamymounds.“Better?”

“Much.”Hegrinnedashetuggedoffhisbootsandthenhissocks.“Areyousurewe’rebothgoingto

fit?” He peeled off his tunic, then shed his pants. He never bothered with undergarments. “I’m not so
sure.”

“Thisisgoingtosaveus.”Shemotionedtowardthefaucetassemblythatprotrudedabovethesideof

thetubratherthanoneendortheother.

He’dintendedtoslipinbehindherandenjoyhavingherwarm,softbodyplasteredagainsthis,but

hercommentmadehimrethinktheposition.“Facingeachother?”Shenodded,sohecarefullyclimbedin
attheotherendoftub.Shebentherkneesandraisedherfeet,givinghimroomtoslidehislegsinbeside
herhips,thenshesettledherlegsontopofhisandrelaxedagainstthetub’ssloppingsurface.“Goodcall.
Itneverwouldhaveworkedtheotherway.”

“Itwouldbeperfectifitwereafootdeeper,butI’lltakewhatIcanget.”
Hecouldn’thelpbutask,“Didyouhappentonoticethebathingtubinmybathroom?”
Shelaughed.“Youmeanthesmallswimmingpool?OhyeahInoticedit.Maybenexttimewe’llhave

timetoenjoyit.”

“I’msorryitwassohectic,butitwasentirelyourownfault.Ifwe’dwantedcalmandleisurely,we

shouldhavesavedournewsforoursecondvisit.”

“Ithelpedwithbothyourmotherandfather.TheyputupwithmebecauseI’mhavingyourbaby.”
“That’snottrue.”Hepausedforanironicsmile.“Atleastnotwithmymother.”
Shelaughed,ashe’dhopedshewould.“Yourfatherwaspleasantandpolite.Ihavenocomplaints.”
“YouspentalotoftimewithAlanza.Whatdidyouthinkofher?”
Emilywiggledhereyebrows.“Ithinkweneedtofindheranicehumanmate.”
“Onestepatatime,mylove.Onestepatatime.”
They chatted and soaked for most of an hour, then hands began to wander. Exhausted from the

emotional catharsis at the carousel, Emily had fallen into a deep sleep moments after they returned to
Vox’sbedroomandtheirpassionshadbeensmolderingeversince.

Wrappingherlegsaroundhiswaist,Voxpulledhercloserandbenthisheadsohecouldenjoyher

hardlittlenipples.“I’vebeenthinkingaboutthesesoftbeautiesallday.”

Shesmiled.“Theymissedyou,andsodidtherestofme.”
“We’llhavetodosomethingaboutthat.Won’twe.”Hetriggeredthedrainandgrabbedthehandheld

sprayer, quickly rinsing their lower bodies before he stepped from the tub. Fluffy towels waited on the
nearbyrack,sohewrappedonearoundhiswaistandturnedbacktoEmilywiththeother.Sheheldouther
hand,stillstandinginthebathtub.Heshookhisheadandproceededtodryherhimself.

It had been less than a day since they’d last joined, but he ached as if it had been far longer. He

strokedherwiththetowel,notyetreadytotouchherskintoskin.“Youaresoprettylikethis.Itseems
crueltocoversuchbeauty.”

“You’dchangeyourmindfastifIeverleftourapartmentlikethis.”
“Verytrue.”Hedroppedthedamptowelonthefloorandliftedherinhisarms,carryingherintothe

bedroom. They’d left the connecting door open during their bath and now both rooms were humid and
smelledofbubblebath.

Hesatontheedgeofthebedandarrangedherastridehislap.Shewrappedherarmsaroundhisneck

andbenttokisshismouth.Theirlipspressedandslid,thenmeldedastheirtonguesswirledaroundeach
other.Foralongtimetheyjustkissed,enjoyingtheircombinedtaste.

Her mind opened to him, freely sharing her excitement and the love already within her heart. Each

timetheyjoinedthelinkgrewstrongerandtheiremotionsdeepened.Neithertriedtohideeitherthoughts
orfeelings.Theysharedthemselvesbody,mindandspirit.

Hishandsstrokedupanddownherback,thenwanderedlower.Shechoseadifferentpath,exploring

hisshouldersandarmsbeforeventuringontohisbroadchest.Herneedgrewevenfasterthanhisandshe
wassoonrubbingagainsthim,teasinghimwithhernipplesandthemoistheatofhersex.

“Oh God, Vox. Please.” She reached down between them and found his erection with her hand. “I

needyouinmenow.”

Notabletoarguewhenhishungerwasjustasdemanding,heliftedherslightly,givingherroomto

positionhimatherentrance.Shetriedtotakehiminallatonce,buthewouldn’tlether.Instead,heheld
herhipsfirmly,loweringherslowlyontohislength.

Shemoaned,headdroppingbackashegraduallyfilledher.Tensioncoiledaroundthemboth,driving

theflameshigher.

“Sogood,”hemurmuredagainstherhairashepressedheragainsthischest.Whenhisentireshaft

wasencasedinherslickcore,hepausedagain,notallowinghertomove.

“Letgo,”shewiggledandarched,tryingtocreatetheblessedfrictiontheybothcraved.
“Assoonaseitherofusmove,I’mgoingtoloseit,”heexplained.“Justletmesavorthisamoment

longer.”

Shestilled,softlypanting.“Ican’tbelieveIneedyouthisbadly.It’sonlybeenaday.”
Hechuckled,whichmadehermoanagain.“Ineverstopwantingyou.TheonlytimeIfeelwholeis

whenI’minsideyou.”Herinnermusclescontractedrhythmically,massaginghiscockintheprocess.“You
approve,Itakeit.”

“Iknowexactlyhowyoufeel.”
Whenshetriedtopullupthistime,helethergo,buthishandsstayedonherhipsensuringthattheir

bodiesstayedjoined.Shetookhimdeepagain,slammingherselfdownoverhimalmostviolently.

“YoudothissomuchbetterthanIdo.Can’twe—”
Heexecutedatighthalfturnandhadheronherbackbeforeshefinishedthesentence.Thenherocked

backontohiskneesandbegantomoveinfast,deepthrusts.

“Ohyes.”Sheraisedherarmsoverheadandliftedintoeachofhisstrokes.
Theymovedtogether,himintheleadliketheybothpreferredit.Hewatchedherfaceashefilledher,

excited as much by the bliss in her expression as the warm grip of her body. Emotions flowed freely
between their minds, but they were both beyond specific thoughts. Their gazes locked as their bodies
tangled,eachutterlylostintheother.

Theendcamesuddenlyandwithcombustibleintensity.Hegrabbedherassandliftedherhipsoffthe

bedaspleasurestabbeddeepintohisbody.Hecriedoutsharply,shudderingashepumpedhisseedinto
her.Shefollowedhalfasecondafterhim,shakingandmoaningassensationswashedoverher.

“ToldyouIwouldn’tlast.”Hepressedheragainsthimandrolledtotheirsides.“Thatwasoverway

toofast.”

She stroked his hair with a sleepy smile. “We can snooze for an hour then get ready for dinner or

catchourbreathandthendothisagain.”

She felt so good just pressed against him that he couldn’t decide which he wanted more. He only

knewhe’dbegratefulaslongasEmilywasinhislife.

Epilogue

FourdayslaterVoxandEmilysatinalargeconferenceroomaboardtheTriumphant.OnlyRaylon

hadknownofGarin’splanstoretrievehisbelovedship.Technically,theTriumphantandtheUndaunted
wereidentical,butAGNoxsworethathecouldtellthedifferenceandhewantedhisbabyback.Noone
was about to argue with him, but it quickly became apparent that Garin had more than a ship swap in
mind.

He’d summoned all the ship commanders, as well as Raylon and Vox. Spouses were allowed to

attendthemeetingbuttheywerenotrequired.Thereweresomanypeopleintheroomthatithadbeenset
uppresentationstylewithmultiplerowsofchairsfacingapodiumratherthanarrangedaroundatable.

“Doyouknowwhatthisisabout?”KadenaskedasheandLexiesettledontochairsbesideVoxand

Emily.

“Noclue,”Voxadmitted,“butthegang’sallhere.Itmustbeimportant.”
DakarsatdownontheothersideofKadenandLexie.HewavedatEmily,whichmadeVoxglower.
Emilylaughed.“Youhavenothingtoworryabout.Dakarischarming,andgoodlooking,butI’min

lovewithyou.”

“He’saflirtandhe’sgoingtogethimselfkilledifheflirtswiththewrongman’smate.”
Garin and Raylon walked in at that moment, silencing the room. Sedrik Lux trailed behind them

lookingslightlyconfused.GarinmotionedRaylonandSedriktowardthechairsarrangedtoonesideof
thepodium,whichpositionedthemfacingtheaudience.

“I’ll keep this short and sweet because you all have work to do and I’m about to add to your

workload,” Garin began with his usual candor. “First order of business, for those of you who have not
heard,theTriadnamedmeapexgeneralafewdaysagowhichmeans—”Hisspeechwasinterruptedbya
loud cheer from his men, whistles and shouts of congratulations. “Thank you. I’m excited as well. The
new position will offer me many new challenges, but it has also forced me to delegate some tasks I’m
having a hard time letting go. Toward that end I’d like to make my first official appointment as apex
general.” He motioned for Sedrik to stand and approach the podium. “Never before has a battle born
soldierbeennamedgeneral.Personally,Ithinkit’smorethantime.Icanthinkofnoonemoredeservingto
bethefirst.”

Whispersrippledthroughtheaudience.Abattleborngeneral?Nooneintheroomeverthoughtthey’d

seetheday.VoxlookedattheothertwoLuxbrothers.KadenandDakarbothlookedstunned.Apparently,
Garinhadn’ttoldanyonewhatheintended.

“Youknowtheroutine,Sedrik.Repeatafterme,”Garinmotionedhimclosertothemicrophone.“I,

SedrikLux.”

Sedrikstoodtallandproud,handslockedbehindhisback.“I,SedrikLux.”
“DosolemnlysweartosupportanddefendRodymiaagainstallenemies.”
Sedrikswallowedhardbeforehewasabletorepeatthephrases,butthenhisvoicewassurprisingly

strong.Thismighthavebeenasurprisetoeveryone,butSedrikwasobviouslyreadyforthejob.

“Iwillobeytheordersofmysuperiorofficersandshalldemandobediencefromthosesubordinateto

me.”

Sedrikrepeatedthewordswithouthesitation.
“Ishallupholdtheofficeofgeneraltothebestofmyabilitiesandofferupallmystrength,according

totheUniformCodesgoverningtheRodytePlanetaryDefenseForce.”

AchorusofcheersandshoutsofencouragementeruptedafterSedriksaidthefinalvow.
Garinwaiteduntiltheuproarsubsidedbeforehefinishedhislines.“MaytheGodsprotectyouand

welcomeyouintotheafterlifewhenyourworkonRodymiaisdone.Congratulations,GeneralLux.”

The audience shot to their feet clapping and cheering. Emily stood as well, but she was clearly

confused by their enthusiasm. Vox leaned down and said, “This never would have happened before the
rebellion.Thebattlebornhavealwaysbeentreatedlikesecond-classcitizens.Thisisabigdeal.”

Shesmiledandmouthedthewords“thankyou”,buthecouldn’treallyhearher.
Garingavethemafewminutestoprocesstheirexcitement.HeshookSedrik’shand,asdidRaylon,

thenthegovernorandthenewlypromotedgeneralsatbackdownwhileApexGeneralNoxcontinuedthe
briefing.“Well,men,thatwasthefunpart.Nowcomesthedifficultpart.”

Thestragglerstooktheirseatsandeveryonesettleddown.
“TheTriadmadeseveralrecommendationswhentheygavememypromotion.Iamnowcommanding

officer over the entire Rodyte fleet, not just the battle born ships, and the Triad made it clear that they
expectedmetobehaveaccordingly.WhatthismeanstoyouisIamturningoverauthorityforthismission
toGovernorLasengerandGeneralLux.Theybothstillanswertome,ofcourse,butthevastmajorityof
decisionswillbemadeattheirlevel.Anyrequestthatissenttomethathasnotcomethroughthemwillbe
denied.Isthatunderstood?”

Achorusof“Yes,sir”echoedthroughtheconferenceroom.
“Good.Now,yournextchallenge.AsI’msuremostofyouhaveheard,we’vebeenkickedoutofthe

USA.”

“Screwthem,sir.We’llgetourfemalesfromCanada,”someonenearthebackcalledout.
“ForreasonsI’mnotgoingintorightnow,that’snotanoption.ButthankstoVox’slovelymate,we

haveacleversolutiontothedilemma.GovernorLasengerisintheprocessofcontractingcourierswho
will ferry the volunteers into international waters. From there, the females will be shuttled to the
Fearless.TheFearlessisnowthedesignatedVisitorCenter.Orientationandfinalinterviewswilltake
placeaboardthatshipandonlythosewhoareapprovedandsignthecontractwillprogresstoLunarNine.
Thisnewsystemisgoingtocreateuniquechallengesformanyofyou.Nottheleastofwhichisourpublic
relations team, Lexie and Emily.” He motioned toward Lexie and Emily and another round of applause
brokeout.

“Gous!”LexiesaidloudenoughforEmilytohearher.
“Iknowtherewillbelotsofquestionsandunforeseencomplications,butIgettheprofoundpleasure

ofreferringthemalltoRaylonandSedrik.”LaughterfollowedandGarinsmiled.“Everyoneinthisroom
hasmytrustandcompleteconfidence.Iknowyouwon’tletmedown.”

Thebriefingendedafewminuteslater,butnoonewantedtoleave.EveryonewasexcitedforSedrik

and wanted to know the specifics of the new program. “How many volunteers have been invited to the
firstorientation?”LexieaskedRaylonasKadencongratulatedhisbigbrother.

“Twenty-five,”thegovernortoldher.
“WehavetodoapieceonSedrik,”EmilysaidasRaylonwasswallowedupinthecrowd.
“Iagree.Ididn’trealizethishadneverhappenedbefore.”
“DidKadenknowthiswasgoingtohappen?”
Lexieshookherhead.“Idon’tthinkanyoneknewbutGarinandtheTriad.”
Voxtouchedherarmandshelookedupathim,herheartbeatracingatthehungerinhiseyes.
“Shall we sneak out?” Vox reinforced the question with a wicked smile. “I’ve barely seen you all

day.”

EmilyquicklysaidgoodbyetoLexieandthenfollowedVoxfromthecrowdedconferenceroom.
They found a quiet corridor and he pulled her into his arms. “Looks like everything is progressing

nicelyforthebattleborn,whichmeansI’llhavenewstudentsbeforetoolong.”

“AndLexieandIwillhaveallsortsofnewstoriestotell.”
He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. “We might be stuck in the apartment above the

trainingcenterforsixmonthsormore.”

Emily laughed as she looped her arms around his neck. “I know that’s a sacrifice for you, but my

houseistinyandolderthanIam.I’mprettysuretheapartmentisalateralmoveforme.”

Pullingherevencloser,hewhisperedinherear,“Whataboutthebaby?Doyouwanttogivebirthon

LunarNineoronBilarri?”

Joybubbledupwithinhersoulandhappytearsgatheredbehindherlashes.Therewouldbehundreds

ofdecisionstomakebeforethebabyarrived,butthistimeshewouldn’tbemakingthemalone.“I’llhave
tothinkaboutthatone.I’dlovetohaveLexienearby,butIknowyourmotherandsisterswillwanttoplay
apartaswell.”

Heframedherfacewithhishandsandlookeddeepintohereyes.“We’lldowhat’sbestforourbaby

and for us. We are the only ones that matter. People can offer advice—and occasionally, I might even
listen—butI’mfinishedlivingfortheexpectationsofothers.”

Sherespondedwithatenderkissasshefilledhismindwithlove.Voxteleportedthemofftheship.

Emilydidn’taskwherehewastakingher.Shedidn’treallycare.Shewascontenttogoanywherelifeled
aslongashermatewasbyherside.

THEEND

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