Penny placed her hand on her chest, right over her heart, where she could feel something that wasn’t a part of herself anchored. Her neck ached where Krayter had marked her and she was hesitant to call the delicious stretching between her thighs pain. She wanted to turn right around and join Krayter for the rest of the night, her energy levels were fit to burst out of her. But it was already late, and their absence had surely been noted.

Besides, she had come all the way out here to see her sisters again. She’d have her mate tomorrow, and the day after, and all the days after that as well. He belonged to her now, and she wasn’t giving him back, no matter what.

With a vague nod to discretion, he’d left first and she’d waited a few minutes to trail in behind him. No doubt anyone who noticed their absence knew exactly what they’d been doing, but Penny didn’t care. If they wanted to judge her for taking an alien lover, so be it, it wouldn’t change her mind one bit.

She came out of the shed to find the clearing deserted. The tent had been taken down and not a speck of litter dotted the ground. An outdoor light from the main house was the only artificial source of illumination she had, but the moon and stars were bright and it wasn’t difficult to see.

For a moment, she thought her ears and eyes were playing tricks on her. A door clanged shut and a shadow darted out into the forest. A short shadow with long brown hair.

Resa.

Penny turned towards her sister instead of going back to the house. It was too dark to be walking alone, and this compound wasn’t nearly as well guarded as Highland Settlement. There were too many dangers out there for a young girl alone, and Penny wouldn’t let Resa take those risks.

They quickly passed by the small nook where she and Krayter had stolen a moment several days ago. From there, the gravel path that Resa was on became more overgrown. The trees blotted out most of the light, and only a few shafts of moonlight were strong enough to spear their way to the ground. Branches snapped under Resa’s feet as she picked up her pace, and she was paying little attention to her surroundings. Penny made no move to hide herself and she was only about fifty feet behind her sister, but Resa never looked back.

Where was she going?

But a few feet later, Resa came to a stop. “Why are you following me?” she demanded.

They’d made it to the far edge of the compound and a fence peeked through the trees behind them. Unlike Highland Settlement, this one wasn’t protected by lasers or a force field. Something about that set Penny on edge. She didn’t like standing out this far, undefended and with no weapons.

“Why are you sneaking off into the woods?” If it had been safer, if their father wasn’t a constant threat, Penny would have let her be. Kids had to grow up and rebel sometime. But not now, not when the danger was still fresh.

“I’m not sneaking,” Resa sneered. “I’m just taking a walk.” She crossed her arms and held them tight, her eyes narrowed. “Why should you even care? You left us here to go off with that alien.”

Oh. That. She’d spent so much time worrying about her sisters’ safety that she hadn’t yet gotten around to that fear of abandonment. Of course it was a problem. Penny had left them behind a day after they’d made it to safety. And it bruised her heart to think that Resa might hate her for it.

“I left you here because it’s safer,” she said, and even if Resa did hate her for it, Penny couldn’t regret it. Not this. She’d do anything to keep Nicole and Resa safe. “And I promise that I’ll visit while you’re living here.”

“Oh yeah? And will you ignore us so you can go off with your boyfriend then, too?” Resa spun back around, but she didn’t go any further into the woods.

Penny came up behind her. “I knew we’d get to hang out tonight. We just needed a little time.” And Resa didn’t need to know exactly what that meant.

“So he is your boyfriend?” she grumbled.

He was so much more than that. “Yeah, he is. And we’re still figuring it all out.”

That wasn’t the right answer. Resa collapsed into herself even more. “I didn’t know you liked boys. I thought that you…”

Boys? At least this wasn’t about Krayter being Detyen. “You thought I was what?” But Resa just shook her head, unable to get the words out. Penny wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tight. “I know that things are changing,” she said. “But you and Nicole are still my sisters. No matter what. If you call, I’ll answer. No matter where I am, or who I’m with, you guys are my number one. Got it?”

After several moments, Resa relented and nodded. “Everything’s changing,” she said.

“And a lot of it is for the better, right?” It had to be. “Let’s go back and you and Nicole can tell me all about that school, okay? And I bet we can scrounge up some ice cream from the kitchen processor.” It was a bribe, but Resa nodded again, willing to be bought.

They turned back towards the house and walked arm in arm. As Penny stepped into a shaft of moonlight, the forest lit up as bright as day. She looked behind them and wind thrust hard at her. With a bright flash of some unseen ship, she and Resa were flung forward as darkness swam over her and swallowed her whole.

***

Krayter stumbled as a hammer knocked against his chest, bowling him over until he stumbled to his bed like a drunkard. He sucked in a deep breath and winced as his lungs contracted over a wound he couldn’t see. A wound that wasn’t there.

Penny.

They’d separated no more than an hour ago, but something had gone wrong. She wasn’t safe.

He spun around, ready to charge out the door and find her, only to see one of the compound’s many armed residents standing in front of the door, arms crossed and a thick eyebrow raised in question. If Krayter remembered correctly, this one was named Brian. “Heading somewhere else?” he asked.

“I need to see Penny.” And he didn’t have time to waste talking about it.

“You already saw Penny. Curfew’s on now. No one but authorized personnel are allowed out of their rooms.” He seemed to relish the denial.

Krayter growled low in his throat and didn’t try to stop his claws from springing out. In a single nod to wisdom, he kept his hands down low, rather than offering a fight. Yet. “Something is wrong,” he ground out through clenched teeth. “Let me pass.”

“No can do. Boss’s orders.” He grinned broadly and leaned even further back against the door.

“Then get Jacinta here. Penny is in danger. I can feel it.” Did this fool require some kind of proof? Krayter didn’t have the time or the inclination to explain the denya bond. But he could tell that his mate was hurt or injured, and he needed to go to her. Now.

Brian studied him for several seconds, assessing. Finally, he nodded towards Krayter’s cot. “Go sit down and I’ll call Jacinta. She’ll confirm everything’s okay. Got it?”

He wanted to stamp his foot like one of those bulls he’d seen on the vids. But Krayter forced himself to nod and retreat. While Brian made his call, Krayter pulled out his own communicator and sent a message to Kayleb.

Something happened to Penny. May need help. Stand by. It might have been premature, but the feeling in Krayter’s gut was so sure that she was hurt, he didn’t hesitate to make the call. Kayleb, Ruwen, and Lis could offer him help that he could trust. He knew Jacinta wouldn’t do anything to harm Penny, she did love her. But she also thought she knew what was best. And Krayter wouldn’t put it above the woman to try and keep the two of them apart.

He also sent a message to Penny’s communicator on the off chance he was wrong, that this was a symptom of separation so soon after sealing the bond between them. If that was the case, he’d force himself to deal. So long as Penny was safe.

Are you okay? he typed out and sent quickly.

Seconds ticked by and there was no response.

Brian spoke into a small communicator sewn into his top, the whispers too quiet, even for Krayter’s sharp ears. His eyebrows furrowed as he spoke and his voice rose. “Then find someone who knows where she is,” he said before dropping his tone down once more.

Krayter’s heart sped and the mated and sated beast within roared to life, ready to tear Brian to shreds if necessary, all so he could find his mate.

His communicator beeped a response from Kayleb. Want us to head to your coordinates?

Yes. If Krayter was overreacting, so be it. This place had it out for him, it was time that he showed them he had his own friends, and his own strengths.

Brian tapped on his communicator to close the comm line and looked up. “Stay here, I’ll go check on Penny’s room. Jacinta’s doing a perimeter check, she can’t answer her comm right now.”

That made no sense. Even if she was at the farthest reaches of the property, she should remain well within the secure comm range. But Krayter let the man go. It was always easier to escape without a guard. Especially when he wasn’t actually a prisoner.

Krayter pocketed his communicator and left the room on quiet feet. No one was watching outside the door, though a security camera was mounted on the ceiling halfway down the wall. He didn’t try to hide from it, there was no point.

Instead, he went directly to Penny’s room. If she wasn’t there, he could at least ensure that her sisters were safe. That was what she’d want him to do. The hallways were deserted, but that could be from the time of night and not any other issue. He made it to the room without meeting anyone else and knocked on the door, waiting as patiently as he could in the hall. When no one answered after a few seconds, he knocked again, louder this time.

He took just a moment to breathe deep and sheathe his claws. He chose to believe that whatever danger Penny was in, it didn’t come from her mother. If that was false, he’d reassess. His brother and cousin were at least an hour away, and it was nearly the middle of the night. He needed to act quickly, and discreetly.

“I’m coming,” a muffled girl’s voice called. He couldn’t tell whether it was Resa or Nicole, but it definitely wasn’t Penny.

Nicole pulled the door open, her hair flying in all directions as if she’d just rolled out of bed. She rubbed at one of her eyes and stared at him blankly. “What?” she mumbled. “It’s late.”

“I need to speak to Penny.” Krayter tried to look over her shoulder, but the door was only opened wide enough for her to stick her face through. He couldn’t hear anyone behind her.

“What do you mean?” Nicole asked, focus sharpening and posture straightening. “She ditched us for you.”

The charge stung, even as it rang true. No doubt he wouldn’t appreciate if one of his siblings chose to spend time with a new lover instead of him. And neither of the girls could understand the impact of the denya bond. He didn’t bother trying to defend their choice. They’d deal with it soon enough. “She left to find you and Resa an hour ago. Did she not make it back?” The wound in his chest was hollow, like his own heart had disappeared, only to be replaced with a gaping hole. When he focused on it, it hurt too much to breathe.

But in a strange way, Krayter was thankful. It meant she was alive. If the pain, and the bond, vanished completely, he didn’t know if he would survive. Without her, there wouldn’t be any point.

Nicole looked back over her shoulder. “Did Penny come in?” she asked Resa.

But the other girl didn’t respond.

“Resa?” she asked louder, trying to wake her up. Nicole stepped into the room and Krayter followed after, watching her approach a still pile on the bed pushed up against the far wall. With a yank, Nicole pulled the covers back to reveal a pile of pillows formed in the shape of a young girl. “Fuck!” shouted the teen. Then she slapped her hand over her mouth and looked at him guiltily.

Krayter didn’t give a shit if she cursed. Not when both Penny and Resa were missing. “Do you know where she would have gone?” he asked. He approached the bed and looked around for any clues that could point them in the right direction, but there was nothing that stood out.

Nicole got down on her hands and knees and looked under the bed. She stuck her hand under there and felt around. A moment later, she stood back up empty handed. “She put on her shoes. It probably means she went for a walk. She likes the night.”

A walk. Fine. Krayter could deal with that. But a walk in the dark wouldn’t trigger the dread in the pit of his soul. “Maybe Penny saw her outside and followed her,” he suggested. “It’s still dangerous for either of you to be out alone.”

Nicole rolled her eyes. “We’re not dumb.”

And yet a twelve year old girl had gone out into the forest alone at night. “Did she take a weapon?” He didn’t know what he wanted the answer to be.

Nicole flipped open the trunk at the bottom of her own bed and revealed a burgeoning arsenal. His friend Inrit, a former pirate, would be impressed. “Nothing’s missing,” Nicole said after taking a quick inventory. “Besides, Resa doesn’t like weapons.”

Now they had an unarmed twelve year old and a missing mate.

“Stay here,” Krayter said. “I’ll go see if anyone else knows anything. You need to stay safe while we look.”

The sound that came out of Nicole’s mouth held no syllables, but twelve tons of derision. She grabbed a small blaster from her trunk. “I’m not letting you go alone. They’re my sisters. Besides, Mom won’t let you do anything.”

Unfortunately, the kid had a point.

“Get dressed.” They didn’t have time to argue.

Krayter turned around, half expecting to be struck in the back of the head by one of Nicole’s many weapons. But a moment later, she had regular clothes and shoes on. They walked briskly down the hall towards the kitchen. It was there that a dozen men and women gathered, each wearing more weapons than Nicole had back in her trunk. They glared at him when he entered, but as Nicole stepped in behind him, none of them pulled a blaster.

He stayed a step ahead of her anyway. He doubted these people would hurt Jacinta’s daughter, but he’d take the blaster shot if any of them got ideas. Brian was in the middle of the action, speaking in hushed tones to a woman with dark brown skin and tight white-blonde braids stuck to her head and trailing down her back. When he saw Krayter, he glared. “You were supposed to stay in your quarters.” His eyes didn’t soften when he saw Nicole.

“What’s going on?” Krayter demanded.

Brian was ready to fight. But a hush fell over the room as the door to the outside opened and Jacinta stepped in. “The outer perimeter was breached,” she said. “Penny and Resa are gone.”