The Swadak touched down at the main dock just before sunset. Even though I watched the slaver ship blast itself into nothingness, I kept the ship in stealth mode and kept outgoing communications clamped. In the few hours it took the Swadak to return to Xiba, only one message was sent to the surface.

Will report directly. Sent from me to the Primen. I left my second-in-command in charge of disembarking procedures and climbed into the transport the Primen sent. When the transport pulled up to the curb at the auction house, I knew the rogue slaver ship had alarmed Carzon more than he’d let on. The Primen's assigned offices would have been more appropriate for a mission breakdown, but those walls had too many ears.

Carzon kept his demeanor casual when I stepped into his office, smiling as he poured two bowls of honey wine. "I didn’t expect this mission to take you so long, Zarbonov. Was there trouble?"

I waved a hand to refuse the wine. He shrugged and gestured for me to continue as he brought his bowl to his lips.

"The reports were accurate," I said. "The ship was of Tabor-make, but unregistered."

The Primen quirked an eyebrow. "Twin main canons is too much firepower for upstart smugglers."

"They weren't common smugglers. The ship moved to intercept one of our transport. It was carrying human cargo."

Carzon sighed and drained his bowl of wine. "I hoped to keep the Tabor from interfering with the mating trade for another few years, at least."

"If they have a fleet of ships like the cruiser I saw, we can't win a space battle."

The Primen stayed quiet, a sure sign that he had arrived at the same conclusion. A war over the mating trade would put the existence of both civilizations at risk, and neither of us could be sure our people would win.

"Sir, we have to consider the possibility that one of our own provided the slavers with information."

I wrapped my language in uncertainty to make the information easier for Carzon to swallow. In truth, with each minute, I grew more convinced that someone on Xiban had to be communicating with the Tabor.

The Primen blinked in surprise. "There is a lot of objection to the mating trade. But a true Xiban wouldn't betray their own kind over a grudge. Not to a race as ruthless as the Tabor. That's as likely to get them killed as make them rich."

"Making money isn't my field. Battle is," I said, reaching for the bowl at last and draining half of it before I continued. "If I had a state of the art cruiser, I wouldn't send it off to get lost like a youth in the desert. I would only send it somewhere I needed it to be."

Carzon folded his arms across his chest. "What happened troubles you?"

"An enemy ship was just a few hours’ travel from my home. It had enough weapons in its arsenal to destroy that transport, the Swadak, and half of V'Dal before we could scramble a defense. Knowledge like that troubles me."

He stroked his chin for a second as if to consider my conviction. He had no reason to put faith in me. I was a warrior of wealth and status, yes, but covert operations had never been my field. All I had was a feeling. A feeling deep in my bones that if we didn't take measures against it now, everything I loved would be destroyed.

"Then you should be the one to prepare us." Carzon took the bowl from my hands and filled it again. "Shore up our defenses. Assemble whatever team and resources you need. Do it however you feel is best, short of starting a war."

The Primen held one full bowl of wine and the other out to me.

"This was a job offer?" I asked.

"Call it an evaluation," he said. "One you earned with your performance the night of your sitting."

I took the bowl, rolling my thumb against the smooth side. "I silenced two warriors and chose my mate. How would either earn me a job?"

"Ah, but you're forgetting the most important part of that evening. I've spent my life earning my position. Thousands of decisions, made perfectly and in seconds, got me here . . . and you found a solution faster than I did."

"A solution that cost me several hundred thousand credits more than it would have if I'd kept my mouth shut."

"Was she worth it?"

A smile tugged at the corners of my lips, a faint taste of Ella on my tongue. "Worth every credit and more."

"Silencing two sniveling warriors is no great feat. I didn't become Primen by letting useful weapons escape my arsenal. I would have evaluated you earlier, but I remember what the first few cycles of breaking in a human can be like.

I snorted before I could stop myself.

The door to the office chimed. One of Carzon's servants entered without waiting for a response. She held up her hands in defense before her master could scold her.

"Apologies, Kai'ben," she said, bowing her head. "One of the others saw Zarbonov vin Xarran come here, and I thought I should speak to him about his mate."

"What about her?" My blood turned to ice in my veins. Had something happened to Ella? No, Ingendia would have gotten a message to me. She would have found a way.

"She's here, Kai'ben. In the mating chambers."

I turned to Carzon and glared at him. Hot lava blasted through the chill, leaving my muscles trembling under the force and weight of my rage. "Why. Is. My. Mate. Here?"

The Primen held up his hands, but he didn't bother to hide his grin. "It's completely innocent, I swear. Your mate came here a few days ago, asking to give language lessons to my stock."

"Though she objects to us referring to them as stock," the servant said. "I swear to you, she is always safe, Kai'ben. She always leaves before sittings begin, and your woman, Ingendia, always comes with her. She's with her now."

I balled my free hand into a fist and took a breath. Knowing that Ingendia was with her helped. A little. "How long has this been going on?"

"A few days," Carzon said. "And it only started once you left. Though I don't think she came yesterday."

The servant shook her head. "Ella jan Zarbonov was ill yesterday, Kai'ben. She said she felt better, but earlier, she wasn't feeling well. When she didn't feel strong enough to make it to her transport—"

"You took her to one of the mating rooms to rest," Carzon said.

"I can take you to her, Kai'ben," the servant said, bowing her head.

"Go to your mate," Carzon said. "We can continue this discussion another time."

I set the bowl on the table, hoping the Primen didn't notice the way my fingers shook. In my thirst to prove myself to protect Xiban, I’d left my mate alone and unprotected. Now, strangers knew her state of health better than I did.