The next three days crawled by with agonizing slowness. Alyssa, the hacker Kelsey was supposed to be protecting, had been approved the day before. She’d had no choice but to continue on to Lunar Nine without her bodyguard and backup. Neither of them was happy about the development, but there was no help for it within the scope of their assumed roles. The only alternative was to abandon the mission entirely and Alyssa had been adamant that she wanted to continue.

Alyssa had personal, as well as professional, reasons for wanting to participate in the mission. She wasn’t an official member of Solar Warden as Kelsey was, but Shadow Leader was Alyssa’s father. And no one questioned Shadow Leader’s decisions, not if they wanted to continue participating in Solar Warden, a black ops program that supervised and curtailed alien activity on Earth. The members of Solar Warden had access to information and technology, like spaceships and advanced weaponry, that most humans didn’t know existed. It was an honor to be chosen for the team and Kelsey had no intention of doing anything to jeopardize her standing within the organization.

Kelsey waited for her own approval to be announced, but the message never came. She knew Jakkin was the primary, perhaps the only, obstacle standing in her way, but she saw no way around him. There was no appeal process, no way to contest his decision. All she could do was complain to the walls as she paced her tiny cabin like a caged animal.

“Indigo to see you. Shall I let her in?” The humanoid-sounding voice used by the ship’s main computer had freaked Kelsey out for the first few days. Now, nearly a month later, she thought nothing of conversing with an inanimate object.

“Let her in.”

Indigo was one of the instructors who had conducted the in-depth and time-consuming orientation. The Rodytes were very serious about finding females genuinely interested in bonding with the battle born warriors. Rodytes mated for life, and the transformation program made irreversible, genetic-level changes to both male and female. So participants needed to understand exactly what the program entailed before they made their final decision.

The door slid open and Indigo strolled into the room. With colorful clothing, and equally colorful hair, Indigo always brought a smile to Kelsey’s lips. Indigo was sweet, caring, and very outgoing. She’d also been through the transformation process herself, so she was the perfect choice for an instructor.

“I was shocked when I found out you’re still here.” Indigo’s bright blue eyes flashed with annoyance as she tossed back her multi-colored hair. “You should have been approved days ago. Commander Arvik is playing games and that’s not fair to you or your other matches.”

Thrilled to have an ally, Kelsey felt the tension melt from her shoulders. The cabin was tiny. Kelsey moved to the bed, so Indigo could sit on the room’s only chair. “Is there anything we can do about it? He’s been sabotaging my progress ever since he learned we’re genetically compatible.”

Indigo crossed her legs as she considered the question, sending her patchwork skirt swirling around her boot-clad ankles. Rodytes were offended by females who dressed in what they considered male garments, so the human volunteers were expected to wear dresses or skirts. Ironically, the skirt could be as tight and short as the female dared, but it had to reflect her gender. Kelsey found the practice laughable, but she was a guest on a Rodyte spaceship, so she reluctantly followed their customs. Calf-length safari dresses in various shades of khaki were the least offensive choice in Kelsey’s opinion, so she’d filled her closet with similar garments.

Fingers drumming on her leg, Indigo finally broke the silence. “Jakkin is really good friends with Kaden Lux, so I doubt General Lux will help us. But I can sure go raise a fuss with Governor Lasenger. He’s thick as thieves with the Nox brothers, and I just happen to be mated with one of those.” Indigo had bonded with Zilor Nox, youngest and most personable of the three Nox brothers. Kelsey had only seen them together once, but it was obvious they were deeply in love.

Kelsey smiled for the first time in two days. “Clash of the power families? This could be interesting.”

“The past few days have been very interesting.” Indigo shook her head. “The other volunteers caused quite a stir when they arrived at the outpost. Dakar is following Alyssa around like a puppy. And, even without Chelsea, Heather has been a royal pain in the ass. Then yesterday Chandar has a vision that freaked out everyone, even General Lux. And nothing upsets Sedrik Lux.”

“Chandar? Isn’t she Governor Lasenger’s mate?”

Indigo nodded, making her colorful hair sway. “She’s a harbinger. We covered them in orientation. Do you remember?”

“A genetic anomaly gives them serious psychic abilities.” Again Indigo nodded, so Kelsey asked, “What did she see in her vision?”

“Another harbinger. His name is Arton and he’s one of the Outcasts. He shared images from one of his visions—”

“Wait. What’s an Outcast?” She already knew about them, of course. Solar Warden and the Outcasts were allies. But they hadn’t been mentioned during orientation, so it was suspicious not to ask.

“They’re a group of Rodyte mercenaries. They worked with us for a while, but like the traitors they are, they switched sides. Now they’re working with Solar Warden. You have heard about Solar Warden, haven’t you?”

Kelsey nodded, fighting back an ironic smile. “I didn’t realize the rumors were true until recently, but they’re all over the internet. Anyway, I didn’t mean to sidetrack you. What did Arton show Chandar?”

“He passed her images from one of his visions, so she’d believe his warning.”

“What warning?”

“According to Arton,” Indigo stressed with a quick smile, “one of the battle born ships is going to crash into a city in California and kill thousands of people.”

“That would be bad.” Kelsey didn’t know what else to say. Indigo made it sound so matter-of-fact, but she was talking about prophetic visions. Everything Kelsey had seen so far was the product of advanced technology. Foretelling the future required an entirely different level of belief. Rather than voice her doubt, she said, “General Lux needs to declare California a no-fly zone until… Did the other harbinger tell Chandar when this is supposed to happen?”

“I don’t think Arton knows for sure.” Indigo paused, then looked at Kelsey. “Do you have any idea why Jakkin is dogging you, or is it just a ploy to keep you to himself?”

Indigo’s expression remained open and compassionate, but a chill raced down Kelsey’s spine. Had Jakkin sent her? He’d struck out on his own, so he thought a friend might be able to sneak past Kelsey’s defenses? “I have no idea what’s going on inside that man’s mind. He’s convinced I have some deep, dark secret, so he won’t approve me until I tell him what it is.”

“Has he told you what made him suspicious? Was there something in your application that created an inconsistency of some sort?”

Kelsey tensed up all over again. These questions were a little too familiar. “I don’t know, and don’t particularly care. If he had something specific, he’d have me arrested or at least eject me from the program. He has nothing. That’s why I’m still here.”

The mission was simple. Alyssa was supposed to hack into the rebels’ central computer and launch a malware program that would disrupt a variety of systems. They’d be so busy chasing down malfunctions that their progress toward unleashing battle born magic would be hampered or temporarily interrupted. Posing as volunteers had been the only way past their security and Alyssa needed physical access to their crystal array before she could launch the malware.

Orientation had been so effective that Kelsey actually found herself doubting the need for the mission. The battle born were fighting for the basic freedoms so many humans took for granted. Who could blame them for wanting control over their lives? However, Jakkin’s overbearing manipulation reinforced her dedication to Solar Warden. He was breaking his own rules to further his cause, selfishly pursuing a mate and using his authority to shut out his competition.

Unless he really had figured out that she was a spy. She disregarded the possibility. She’d be in the brig if he had evidence of her true loyalties. This was his idea of courting, nothing more.

“Did you omit something from your application that he might have found? Something you didn’t think was important or…I don’t know. Jakkin doesn’t seem like the type to misuse his power.”

“Which means it has to be me?” So much for having an ally. Clearly, Indigo wasn’t as friendly as she was pretending. “I haven’t had a secret baby, and I don’t work for the Russians. I answered every question as honestly as I could. This is Jakkin being a jackass.”

Indigo smiled innocently and backed off. “I’m sure you’re right, and I’ll see what I can do to help. This must be exasperating.”

“And then some.” Maybe Jakkin’s paranoia had rubbed off on her. Indigo had sure given up easily if she was fishing for information. Kelsey sighed, no longer sure if Indigo was friend or foe.

“Well, hang in there.” Indigo stood and headed for the door. “Have you been to the gym or anywhere else? It’s not healthy to stay cooped up in this room all by yourself.”

“I’m going to work out after lunch, which should be here shortly.” She was the last volunteer left on the ship so she didn’t feel comfortable eating in the officers’ dining hall anymore. Instead, she ordered a tray brought to her cabin twice a day and tried her best to keep from going insane.

Indigo nodded. “Com me if you need anything.”

For two hours in the afternoon the crew was banned from the gym, so Kelsey had the large, well-equipped room to herself. She worked out hard, releasing her frustration on the programmable spar-bot. She’d started kickboxing when she was thirteen and won the first of many titles at fifteen. Her skill and the ferocity with which she attacked caught the attention of an FBI agent during a national championship. She’d just finished six years in the Marines, so she was in no hurry to make another life-changing commitment. But the recruiter was persistent and eventually she agreed. She’d been with the FBI for two years when Shadow Leader asked her to join Solar Warden. At first she thought he was a crackpot, then he took her for a ride in one of their spaceships. She’d been with Solar Warden for the past sixteen months and they’d been the most exciting months of her life.

After showering and dressing in a casual khaki dress, she explored the entertainment library, hoping to find a movie that would keep her awake until dinner. Boredom could be as brutal as overexertion. She settled on an action-adventure flick, but found herself dozing off halfway through. She paused the video file and moved around for a few minutes, but still fell asleep before the end.

A visitor alarm woke her, but she wasn’t sure how long she’d been asleep. She scrambled off the bed and shook off the lingering grogginess. “Respond with surveillance only,” she told the computer and a small section of the door became a vidscreen while the door remained closed. A boy stood in the corridor, wearing a soldier’s uniform, but he couldn’t have been more than nine or ten. She’d noticed the boy soldiers the first day on the ship, but still knew little about them. Indigo had assured her they weren’t allowed near any of the battles, but the practice was still disturbing. Children did not belong in the military. Period.

“What can I do for you?” she asked the boy.

He glanced at her, smiled, then looked away. His dark hair was shaggy, framing his chubby face, and his big brown eyes were ringed in blue. Phitons came in a variety of colors. His were particularly vivid. “Commander Arvik wants me to bring you to him. Wait, I’m supposed to say, ‘Will you please have dinner with me?’” His dark brows scrunched together over his nose, then he clarified, “Not me, the commander.”

His struggle was so adorable, she couldn’t resist. “Visitor approved. Open the door.” The door slid open and she motioned the boy inside. “I need to put on my boots and fix my hair.”

After looking both ways, for what she wasn’t sure, he hesitantly entered the cabin. The door slid shut again, but he stayed just inside, looking terrified to be alone with her.

“My name’s Kelsey. What’s yours?”

“Lentar.” He swallowed hard and stood a little straighter. “Are you going to bond with the commander? My jentari said you’re Commander Arvik’s mate, so I have to be especially good.”

Rather than getting into the specifics of her relationship, or lack thereof, with Jakkin, she grabbed her boots and a pair of socks as she asked, “What’s a jentari.”

“He watches out for us and teaches us how to be soldiers.”

She hoped he meant a teacher or mentor, but this was the military, so he likely meant drill sergeant. “Is he only your jentari only or does he watch out for other boys too?”

“Each jentari is in charge of twelve rortenals.”Apparently guessing her next question, he said, “Rortenals are tiny fish that have a very short lifespan. You have something similar on Earth. They’re called guppies.”

“The soldiers call you and your friends guppies.” She smiled despite the seriousness of any child being enlisted in the military. “Does that make you mad?”

“Sometimes, but I won’t be small forever. I’m strong for my size and I grew this much last year alone.” He demonstrated several inches between his thumb and forefinger.

“That’s a lot,” she praised. “I bet you grow even more this year.” He grinned, clearly pleased by her conclusion. She put on her socks then her boots, and quickly braided her hair. “All done.”

Lentar led her out into the corridor, but instead of walking in front of her as she’d expected, he took her hand and walked at her side. “You’re very pretty.” He said without looking at her.

“Thank you. So are you.”

His head snapped around and he glared. “Boys are not pretty. We’re fierce and brave.”

“I stand corrected. You are fierce and brave.”

They arrived a short time later and he activated the visitor chime. “Miss Kelsey to see you, Commander Arvik.”

He sounded so official it made her smile. The door slid open, but she leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you for the escort. You did a wonderful job.”

His round cheeks turned bright red before he hurried away.

She chuckled and moved into the cabin, ready for the next round with her potential mate. He stood across the room, expression unreadable. Like Lentar’s, Jakkin’s hair looked sort of shaggy and he’d dressed in tailored black pants and a button-up shirt with an abstract pattern in muted jewel tones. She’d never seen him in anything but his uniform. His phitons looked especially green and one corner of his mouth turned up with the faintest of smiles.

“Flirting with one of my guppies?”

“I couldn’t resist. He’s adorable.”

His brows arched and he ambled toward her, “And I am…” He waited for her to fill in the blank.

“Frustrating as hell.” She held her ground, letting him come to her. “Why am I still here? If you had evidence supporting your suspicions, I’d be in the brig.”

“So true.” He stopped half a step away, but curved his fingers around the back of her neck. “I propose a truce. For tonight only, I won’t interrogate you, and you’ll treat me with respect.”

She laughed. “I might be persuaded to back off the hostility, but respect has to be earned.”

His thumb snaked around the front of her throat, but he didn’t tighten his fingers. “Fine. Less hostility it is. Can we share a meal like civilized people, maybe learn a bit more about each other?”

She ran her hands up his chest, undeniably aware of his grip on her neck. Rather than threatening, she found it oddly arousing. “Why not. It’s better than staring at the ceiling in my cabin.”

He brushed his thumb up and down the side of her throat, then swept his arm toward the dining area. His cabin was easily three times the size of hers. Power always had its privileges. The table had been set with polished metal plates and faceted stemware. He really was trying to impress tonight. But why the sudden change of strategy?

He pulled out her chair for her and poured the wine before seating himself. The civilian clothes made him look more approachable, less intimidating. Despite all their arguments and wrestling matches, this was their first real date. “This feels really strange.” She picked up her wineglass and took a drink.

“That’s because we’ve never attempted to be civil to each other before. I shove and you shove back, which makes me shove even harder.”

“That sounds very immature,” she pointed out. “Are we acting like children on a playground?”

“No, we’ve been acting like a couple in the grip of the pull.”

The pull was a heightened awareness and almost irresistible attraction of a genetically compatible couple. “Humans aren’t susceptible to the pull.”

“Not like Rodytes are, but I know you feel it.”

She’d sensed a connection the first time she saw him, but when he kissed her that connection became a magnetic field drawing them together, making her ache for his touch and more of his taste. “What are we eating?” Refusing to dwell on their unfulfilled desires, she pointed to the covered dishes in the middle of the table.

“These patterns have just been programed, so I offer no guarantees. I believe this dish is called chicken Marsala.” He lifted one dome and set it aside.

The savory scents of chicken, mushrooms and wine wafted toward her and she inhaled deeply. “If it tastes as good as it smells, we’re in business.”

He grinned, but the smile was playful rather than licentious, for a change. “I feel that way about a many things.”

Steamed vegetables and crusty bread were hiding under the other domes and she sighed. He was clearly trying to impress her and it made her feel horribly guilty. This was all so unfair to him. She was flat-out using him, while he was trying to win the affections of a mate, someone with whom he honestly hoped to spend the rest of his life.

“You do like Italian food, don’t you?”

“I do. It’s just…why are you doing this if you think I’m still hiding something?”

His gaze locked with hers and grim determination reformed his expression. “I know you’re hiding something, but a friend cautioned me about leaping to conclusions. It could be that you have very good reasons for protecting your secret and whatever you’re hiding might not be a danger to me or anyone else. I was hoping we could compromise.”

Her chest tightened and she had to consciously relax her muscles. The more reasonable he became, the more guilt consumed her. “What sort of compromise?”

“Is my friend right? Does your secret have any effect on our future together?” He suddenly smiled and shook his head. “She also cautioned me to stop presuming you would pick me for a mate. Please let me restate my question. If you choose me as your mate, will your secret have any effect on our future together?”

She paused to consider the question. Jakkin had the best bullshit detector she’d ever encountered, so she didn’t want to lie to him. The only way she’d choose him as her mate would be if she ended her association with Solar Warden. And if she no longer belonged to Solar Warden, the rest became null and void. “If I chose you as my mate—and that’s a massive if—my secret would be irrelevant to our future together.” She was manipulating the truth, but her words were factual.

He took a slow drink of wine as he mulled over her answer. “Are you running from someone? Using this program as a place to hide?”

If she let him continue with these questions, he’d ask one she couldn’t answer. It made more sense to divert his attention onto a safer topic. “Who’s been giving you advice? You said ‘she’. There aren’t that many females left on your ship.”

His brow arched again and the smoldering heat in his gaze intensified. “Are you jealous?”

“Curious. Was it Indigo or the female doctor who was on my interview panel? I think her name was Lily.”

“I’ve known Lily Fontenot for years. There is not, nor has there ever been, anything romantic between us. You have nothing to worry about.”

Oddly, she did feel sort of threatened by the pretty doctor. And she had no right to object to any of his relationships. She wasn’t his perspective mate, not really. She couldn’t play her role so well she forgot it was all pretend. “She seems nice. You said you’ve known her for years. How did you meet?”

He filled their plates and they began to eat as he answered her question. “She helped me out of a really bad situation when one of my missions collapsed. But I don’t want to talk about Lily. I want to talk about you. I know the facts you listed in your application, your work history and education. I want to know all the things they don’t bother to ask. Tell me about your friends. How do you spend your free time?”

She had to be careful. Shadow Leader had taken liberties with her backstory to make her more appealing to the Rodytes. Her military service had been listed, but her connection to the FBI had been omitted. According to her resume, she’d been teaching self-defense classes for the past few years. “I’m a workaholic. I don’t have a lot of friends, or free time for that matter.”

“You find your work that rewarding?”

“I didn’t say that.” She smiled. He was thinking about the work listed in her bio and she was thinking about Solar Warden, but her priorities could use a little tweaking either way. “I help people learn how to protect themselves. That is important, but I should probably make more time for myself. Find a hobby or somewhere to volunteer. Are you even allowed time off for anything but meals and sleeping?”

“Technically, I’m always on duty, but threat levels and mission parameters dictate how much of my day, or night, is spent in the command center.” He indicated the table before him. “Obviously, I’m allowed leisure time when it’s appropriate.”

“I know you took over command of the Fearless not long ago. Is this your first command?”

“It is.” He didn’t sound pleased by the fact. “I was beginning to wonder if it was ever going to happen. I was first officer aboard the Intrepid before that.”

The Intrepid was the hospital ship where the actual transformation procedures took place. The volunteers had learned about it during orientation, but they wouldn’t be allowed near it until they’d received final approval. “Is that how you met Kaden Lux? Indigo mentioned that you two are good friends.”

He shook his head. “I’ve known Kaden forever. We met in training, so we must have been about fifteen. He became an officer almost immediately, of course, but I was—”

“Why ‘of course’? I know his family has money. Is that what you mean?”

His chest expanded and he pushed his plate aside even though he’d eaten very little. “I shouldn’t resent the Lux family. They’ve been nothing but kind to me. But wealth buys power, and power makes everything easier. Kryton Lux, Kaden’s father, was a well-respected general before he retired, so his sons were treated differently than those of us without those sorts of connections.” He poured himself more wine, then hurriedly added, “I’m not saying Kaden and Sedrik didn’t earn their positions. They’re both exceptional, but their last name opened doors and ensured that the right people took notice of their accomplishments.”

He’d said his background was different from Kaden’s, so she wasn’t sure how much she wanted to dig. Still, if she didn’t show any interest in him, it would seem suspicious. She was supposed to be considering a life-long relationship with him, after all. “Was your mother part of your life? You’re battle born, so I know she was a Bilarrian captive. Did she return to Bilarri after your birth?”

“She did, and my father dropped me off at a military nursery a few days later.”

“Military nursery.” She shook her head, quickly losing her appetite too. “Those two words do not belong in the same sentence.”

He seemed confused by her vehemence. “It’s not at all unusual. Military service is the fate for the vast majority of battle born males. Rather than each father attempting to provide for his son with extremely limited resources, the fathers pooled their credits and created a sort of cooperative.”

She wasn’t convinced by his nonchalance. His words sounded hollow, rehearsed. “You were a boy soldier, like the one who escorted me here?” His only reply was a terse dip of his head. “Was your father involved in your life? Did he keep track of your progress to ensure your needs were met by this cooperative?”

Tension spread across his features and his gaze became distant, shuttered. “I was fed and clothed, educated and trained in a vocation that guaranteed me a position for life. What more could my father have provided if he’d attempted to do so on his own?”

“Affection, encouragement, tenderness.” She didn’t want to upset him, but Indigo had described the treatment of the boy soldiers. Kelsey found their lives disturbing when she was thinking about it in the abstract. Now she was applying the circumstances to Jakkin and it broke her heart. “Was there anyone in your life that made you feel wanted?”

“I can’t change my past,” he shoved back from the table and stood, “and we started a war to ensure that things like this don’t happen in the future. What more would you have me do?”

He sounded defensive and angry, and she couldn’t blame him for either emotion. She was forcing him to defend the system that had victimized him for years. “I’m sorry. I have no right to judge you. My life wasn’t all that different from yours.” She stood as well, feeling guilty for an entirely different reason now. She wasn’t just a fraud. She was acting like a sanctimonious bitch.

“Were you also raised by a cooperative?” He walked into the living room, looking back to ensure she followed. He sat on the sofa, obviously hoping she’d join him.

She looked at the two chairs facing the sofa, but decided not to be difficult. For a change. “Not exactly. I stayed with my mother until I was eleven, then I went into the foster care system.”

“I’m not familiar with that term.”

The semi-hostile attraction that shaped their interactions had been replaced with correct formality. It made her want to punch him in the arm or pull his hair, just to penetrate the frustrating civility. “Like your cooperatives, our foster care system takes care of children who have lost their parents or whose parents are incapable of taking care of them on their own. Unfortunately, when children are reared by someone other than their parents it can lead to abuse and neglect.”

“The military cooperatives don’t abuse the children,” he objected. “In most cases they provide a much better environment for the boys than the parent or parents would be able to give them on their own. Rodyte soldiers are deployed for months, sometimes years, at a time. If their sons are enlisted in a military school, they are generally assigned to the same ship as their father. This prevents long separations and allows each father to be more involved in his son’s life than he would be if the child remained on Rodymia. That’s why the program still exists.”

“That’s right. Capturing war brides is now against the law.” The reminder led her to another realization. “Then Lentar isn’t battle born.”

“No. The youngest battle born son is now around thirteen.”

“Does Lentar ever see his parents?”

“I’m not familiar with his exact circumstances, but I know his father is part of my crew.”

“What about his mother? How do Rodyte females fit into this picture?”

He sighed and pushed his hand through his hair. “Rodytes are obsessed with genetic engineering, have been for generations. But for every problem our scientists solve, two more, often worse, complications arise. Our need for genetically compatible mates is one example of a genetic side effect. Our gender gap is another.”

“There are more males than females on Rodymia?”

“The ratio is approximately ten to one at present, but the gap widens with each generation. And Rodytes mate for life, so attracting a mate is nearly impossible without wealth and social position.”

“Wow. None of this was in the orientation. I had no idea.”

He shrugged, but his features were tense, expression cautious. “It’s not something we broadcast. Self-inflicted wounds are humiliating. The transformation program deals exclusively with battle born males, so the rest isn’t important.”

“Can’t your scientists reverse whatever went wrong? Why is the gap still widening?”

“They’ve been trying, and trying, but spontaneous mutations are infinitely harder to correct than those triggered intentionally. Nature has a way of humbling those who screw with her designs.”

“Please don’t take offense, but it doesn’t seem like your people have learned their lessons very well.”

Annoyance gleamed in his gaze, but his tone remained civil. “In what way?”

“If all their genetic engineering has caused catastrophic side effects, why haven’t they stopped screwing with DNA? Doesn’t the transformation program rely on the technique?”

He laughed and stretched his arm out across the back of the sofa. “Damn good questions. And you’re right. Rodytes are too stubborn for our own good. Abandoning all we’ve learned would be admitting defeat. Our scientific community is still convinced they can fix what went wrong and produce the perfect humanoid.”

His gaze locked with hers and awareness arced between them like an electric pulse. Her heart fluttered and heat cascaded through her body. If humans weren’t susceptible to the pull, why did this keep happening? She licked her lips and scrambled for something to say. “If Rodyte females can’t be bothered with working-class males, how did Lentar’s father end up with a son?”

“Our need to perpetuate our bloodline is still very much intact. Many unmated males save for years in order to access a progeny clinic. The facilities combine the male’s sperm with eggs from a donor female and ten months later the male picks up his son or daughter.”

“But how is the baby gestated? Does Rodymia have some sort of artificial womb?”

His brow furrowed, then a smile curved his lips. “I forget how primitive the conditions are on Earth. Yes, we’ve had artificial wombs for generations.”

She tried not to be insulted by the comment. He hadn’t meant to sound condescending. At least, she didn’t think he had, but his attitude chaffed. If Rodymia was so superior to Earth, why were they here, begging for human assistance? “Thanks for dinner, but I think I’ll call it a night.”

He caught her wrist as she started to rise. “I didn’t mean to insult you.”

She tugged against his hold, but he didn’t let go. “I’m not insulted. I’m tired.”

“So am I.” He yanked hard enough to bring her back down. She landed half beside him and half on his lap. “I’m tired of pretending to be nice when all I can think about is this.” His arms closed around her, dragging her fully onto his lap, then his mouth covered hers, ending the conversation.