Kelsey rolled her hands, cringing at the stiffness already limiting her range of motion. Damn. At least she could still make a fist. The shuttle would basically fly itself. All she had to do was activate a distress signal and operate the comlink. And play her part so believably that Marsden wouldn’t hesitate to help her.

Her lip was driving her crazy. At least it had stopped bleeding. She’d told Torrin to avoid her eyes. She needed to be able to see once the fighting started. She’d try to isolate Marsden before she went after him. He was almost thirty years her senior, so incapacitating him shouldn’t be too difficult.

She’d been given com-bots so she could communicate with the Fearless and the other team members directly. Hopefully Marsden’s new ship wouldn’t be able to detect the microscopic implant.

Torrin, are you in place? It felt strange to use real names while on a mission. But Jakkin assured her that the frequency they were using was encrypted and private, so codenames were unnecessary.

Affirmative. Ready when you are.

Copy.

Not trusting herself to locate the private path during the heat of battle, she left the link open and quieted her mind by focusing on each step awaiting her. She pushed her hands into the control matrix and carefully performed the motions Jakkin had taught her. The launch doors were already open and she’d been cleared for departure, so she set the shuttle in motion, then pulled her hands back.

The tiny ship glided out of the bay and sailed into the velvet blackness of space. She’d flown a variety of helicopters and even a few small planes, but nothing like this. It was thrilling, and humbling, to realize how far human technology had to go.

The Fearless had temporarily extended their covert shields so the shuttle didn’t immediately give away their location. Marsden’s ship hadn’t reacted to their arrival, so Kelsey was cautiously hopeful that they didn’t yet realize the battle born had discovered their hiding place.

Adrenaline kicked her pulse into high gear, making her feel jittery. She rolled her hands, needing the discomfort in her wrists to help keep her focused. The shuttle emerged from the ship’s protective cover and she took one final calming breath. This mission was important on several levels. Marsden needed to be removed from power and held accountable for the ramifications of his decisions. But she had personal reasons for wanting to participate. This would help clear her mate’s name, which was important to both of them. It would also establish her as a legitimate field operative in the eyes of the battle born. She could not spend the rest of her life lying around in their cabin watching entertainment files, waiting for her powerful mate to come home from work. She needed to feel useful, and not just as a wife and eventually a mother. She needed to actively contribute to the battle born cause.

“Unidentified shuttle, state your purpose or we’ll open fire!”

Not a very hospitable welcome, but it was exactly what she’d expected. She pressed her lips together, the sting making her eyes water. “Help me.” Her voice broke and she thought of the restaurant explosion that had nearly cost her and Alyssa their lives. That only made her angry.

“Identify yourself.”

“Captain Kelsey Lindon.” The words sounded distorted as she maneuvered them past her swollen lips. “Solar Warden Agent 952. Medical emergency.”

“Where did you come from, Captain? Are the battle born in pursuit?”

Who the hell was this moron? She was glad she wasn’t bleeding to death. “Please help me.” She tried to sound as pathetic as she possibly could.

“Kelsey, release control of your ship. I’ll bring you aboard the Vengeance.”

Marsden. Thank God. He’d named his ship Vengeance? Not surprising given his current state of mind. “I don’t know how,” she cried, finally achieving a helpless victim timbre. “I barely got this thing away from the Fearless.” That should do the trick. He’d move heaven and Earth to bring her aboard now.

“Do nothing. We’ll take control.”

Unsure if they had visual or not, she raised her hands and pressed back into her seat. It took them a couple of tries, but the shuttle was soon flying toward the unseen ship. They guided her into a landing bay, the only part of the ship that ever appeared. Marsden was waiting as she stumbled off the shuttle.

“Commander.” She hurried toward him, then stumbled, praying he’d instinctively catch her. He caught her and righted her as a sob tore from her throat. “Thank you. I can’t believe I’m finally free.”

He looked her over, then glanced toward the shuttle. “Are you alone? How did you escape?”

“It’s just me, and it wasn’t easy.” She swayed and blinked, encouraging the tears pooling in her eyes to run down her cheeks. “Be careful, sir. He’s not going to let me go without a fight.”

“Who? You said you escaped from the Fearless?”

“The commander thinks I’m his mate.” She shuddered and forced a dry sob. “He’s so damn twisted. They all are.”

“I’m well aware. How long ago did you escape?”

“I’m not sure.” She swayed again. They needed to get moving. “I passed out. Two hours, maybe more.”

“Let’s get you to the clinic.”

She shook her head and sobbed, lightly covering her mouth with one hand. “Please, sir. Not yet. Let me pull myself together.”

“You said it was a medical emergency. Are you sure you don’t need a doctor?”

“He, they… Nothing’s broken, luckily.” She gestured with the hand from which the restraint dangled, drawing his attention to her wrist. “I think my ribs are cracked. But I can’t deal with another stranger touching me right now.”

He looked at her ripped top and the strangle marks on her neck. “Of course. You can rest in my cabin as long as you like. But my physician is very good. You can trust him.” He saw the panic she created in her eyes and added, “When you’re ready.”

“Thank you, sir. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been out here.”

“I apologize for my security officer. He’ll be reprimanded. We always help our own.” He turned and left the bay, clearly assuming that she would follow him.

You’re clear, Torrin. Be careful.

Copy that.

She detected a hint of amusement in his tone and had to fight back a smile. It wasn’t like her to mother her team members. Jakkin was making her soft.

The Vengeance didn’t look that different from the other Solar Warden ships. The basic design was similar to the other ships they’d received from the Evonti. It was hard to judge its size without having seen the exterior and they’d been shielded as they pulled her shuttle aboard.

The cabin Marsden took her to was large and luxurious. Not unlike Jakkin’s, the main living area was multipurpose with a seating-entertainment area as well as a small dining room. He motioned her to the sofa, then sat in the chair facing her.

“Have you been on the Fearless this entire time?”

So he intended to interrogate her himself. That was fine. She couldn’t take him out of commission until Torrin signaled her that he was finished. “Most of it. I was taken to Lunar Nine briefly, but…” She cleared her throat as if she were fighting back tears. “I was taken back to his ship when they figured out who Alyssa was.”

“By ‘his ship’ do you mean Jakkin Arvik, Commander of the Fearless?”

“Yes, sir.” She didn’t want to give him too much too soon.

“And he believes you’re his mate?”

She nodded, glancing at him through several strands of her hair. “He’s obsessed.”

“Rodyte males are like that, all animal instincts and mindless brawn.” He studied her for a moment in silence, then asked, “You estimate that he is two hours behind you?”

“I don’t know.” She allowed a bit of her frustration to show. Marsden had always been a self-absorbed asshole. Clearly nothing had changed. “The Fearless is much faster than that shuttle.”

Show time. Torrin told her. I’m about to drop their pants.

I’m in position. Carry on.

No doubt the bridge officers would notify Marsden as soon as the shields dropped. “I need to…” She stood up and motioned around the room. “Where’s the bathroom.”

Marsden started to speak, then tapped his right ear. “This is Marsden, go ahead.” He motioned to a door across the room. “It’s through there.”

She moved slowly forward, waiting for him to finish his conversation.

“What?” he snapped, then, “Shit. I’ll be right there.” He looked at her, eyes narrowed. “Try to get some sleep. Do not leave this cabin.”

“Of course, sir.”

He started for the main door, so she timed her steps to his. As they reached the center of the room, she dropped the victim act and punched him squarely in the jaw. He staggered back, but didn’t go down.

Fury erupted in his eyes and he lunged for her, hands balled into fists. He swung wildly for her midsection, but she easily avoided the blow. He swung again, catching her already bruised cheek.

She cried out and her vision blurred for just a moment, then she drove him back with a sharp roundhouse kick and a two quick jabs.

“You lying bitch!” he screamed, then took a deep breath. “Security to—”

Her vicious forearm chop to his throat silenced him, and she kneed him in the gut as he grabbed his throat with both hands. Bracing for the inevitable pain, she made a fist and punched him in the jaw a second time. He groaned and finally collapsed at her feet. She shook off the pain, then reached into her pocket and pressed the restraint release. The alloy cuff encircling her wrist popped open and she caught it before it clattered to the deck.

Marsden landed on his side, one arm already behind him. She dragged his other behind his back and fastened the restraints around his wrists. She searched him for weapons and found a knife and a compact pulse pistol, as well as the larger gun strapped to his hip.

“Paranoid much?” she muttered as she stashed the two small weapons in a random compartment across the room. She kept the larger gun for herself. Finally, she contacted the Fearless. “Target has been neutralized.”

* * * * *

The rest was largely routine. Jakkin began bio-streaming his strike teams to the Vengeance as soon as it became visible. Overconfident and disorganized, the human crew was overthrown in a matter of minutes. Only a few of the feistier humans even put up a token fight. They were rounded up and locked in one of the cargo bays. Marsden and his first officer were transferred to the detention level on the Fearless. Jakkin wasn’t letting the irrational human out of his sight until they reached the Bunker or Lunar Nine. He knew Morgan and her team had control of the Vengeance, but he wasn’t sure what General Lux would want done with the new leader of Solar Warden. It would probably be wise to hold on to Marsden until Morgan fulfilled her promise and cleared Jakkin’s name.

“I will kill you,” Marsden snarled as he was thrown into a detention cell next to his first officer. “Jason will not rest until you’re dead, so I will keep trying until I snuff the life from your worthless alien body!”

Jakkin didn’t bother with a response. Instead, he turned to Torrin, who stood beside him, and said, “None of this would have been possible without you. You have my thanks.”

Torrin dipped his head, a faint smile bowing his lips. “Happy to help.”

“Where’s your whore? Were her bruises cosmetic, or is that how you treat reluctant females?”

Infuriated in an instant, Jakkin spun toward the holding cell.

Torrin touched his arm. “He’s not worth it. Even your mate knows that.”

With a tense nod, Jakkin left the detention level, not trusting himself to resist Marsden’s provocation. “Are you staying on Earth?” He looked at Torrin, realizing how little he knew about the man. “Where are you headquartered?”

Torrin shrugged. “I go wherever I’m needed. Right now, I’m needed on Lunar Nine.”

“I thought Morgan contracted you.”

“She did, but the mission is all but over now. General Lux made an offer for ongoing assignments and I’ve decided to accept.”

“Then welcome to the rebellion.”

They parted ways at the lift. Torrin headed to his cabin, while Jakkin went to the clinic. The second Kelsey returned to the Fearless, he personally escorted her to the clinic and insisted on full regeneration even though Dr. Iftar told him a hand unit would do. It was obvious Jakkin wouldn’t back down, so Iftar took Kelsey to a regen unit and Jakkin finally left the clinic. That had been over two hours ago. Her treatment should be over by now.

Dr. Iftar spotted Jakkin as he walked into the clinic and headed him off just inside the door. “She’s all finished, sir. I had her escorted to your quarters so she could rest.”

“Thank you. She’s very important to me.”

The doctor chuckled. “And you’re important to her. In fact, you’re both disgustingly happy. Makes everyone around you envious.”

Jakkin accepted the semi-insulting compliment with a smile and left the clinic.

As Iftar said, Kelsey was in bed, but she wasn’t asleep. She looked up as soon as he eased the door open. She’d turned on the overhead star display. It pleased him that she loved it as much as he did. Jakkin pulled off his boots and lay down beside her, pulling her back into the curve of his body.

“You’re my hero,” he whispered then kissed her soft hair. “The mission went off flawlessly because of you and Torrin.”

She rolled to her back and looked at him, eyes luminous in the simulated starlight. “I don’t want this to be my only mission. This is what I do, who I am. How do we make that happen?”

Her creamy skin was flawless again, every trace of Torrin’s beating mercifully gone. “I’ll talk to General Lux. We’ve never had a female operative before, but everything is changing with so many of us claiming mates.”

“You’ll talk him into it, not out of it?” She smiled. “I know you hated every minute of this.”

“I hated putting you in danger, and that will never change. But you’re skilled and well suited to this sort of work. I want you to be happy as well as safe.”

She framed his face with her hands and kissed him. Tenderness and gratitude flowed into his mind. “That might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

He laughed. “Then I definitely need to try harder. Apparently, I’m not very nice.”

“That’s all right.” She grinned. “Neither am I.” She relaxed her arms and snuggled closer, resting her head on his shoulder. “Dr. Iftar said something about the Outcasts being involved—or actually being present but refusing to get involved—in the L.A. nightmare. Do you know what he was talking about?”

He nodded, then realized she couldn’t see the gesture with her face pointed the other way. “I told you the Triumphant detected a third ship while they had me trapped in the crossfire.”

“I remember.”

“Apparently, it was the Relentless, Kage Razel’s ship. General Lux isn’t sure if he was supposed to attack and didn’t, or why he was there. The Outcasts have seemed really, I don’t know, conflicted lately.”

“If they’re not helping either side anymore, why don’t they move on? They’re mercenaries, aren’t they? Won’t they need to find a new employer?”

“I have no idea what they need. Maybe one of the Lux brothers can find out.”

She tilted her head and looked at him. “What do the Lux brothers have to do with the Outcasts?”

They’d talked about so many things, he hadn’t realized he’d never mentioned that Arton was the oldest Lux brother. “Do you remember Arton, the Outcast who is also a harbinger?”

She nodded. “He’s the one who warned Chandar about a ship crashing into a city.”

“Correct. He’s not just an Outcast, he’s Kage Razel’s second-in-command.” He paused to make sure she was soaking it all in. “He calls himself Arton the Heretic now, but he was born Arton Lux.”

Her jaw dropped, then she snapped it shut. “The second most powerful Outcast is General Lux’s brother?”

“The very same. And Arton’s not the only Outcast who has family members among the battle born.”

“Wow. I had no idea the two sides were so closely linked.”

Jakkin sighed. “Despite our feuds and conflicts, we’re all Rodytes.”

After a long pause, she asked, “What happens next? Marsden is still breathing. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.”

“It depends who replaces him. We thought getting rid of Shadow Leader would settle things down. All it did was lead to Marsden.”

“What do you think of Morgan?”

He suspected he knew why she asked about the other female, but he decided not to make it easy. “She seemed sincere and competent. I guess time will tell if we can trust her.”

“I’ve heard she’s really beautiful.”

He hid a guilty smile. His little hellion was jealous. “I didn’t notice.”

She jabbed him in the ribs. “Liar. Every male notices her. At least every male that’s attracted to females, and you definitely qualify.” He just laughed, so she shrugged and turned up her nose. “It’s all right if you looked. I sure as hell look at Zilor.”

With a sensual growl, he swept her beneath him and pinned her arms over her head. “Who are you looking at now?”

She parted her legs and bent her knees, aligning their lower bodies. “My mate, the center of my world, the only male in this, or any other, universe that means anything to me.”

Not bothering with words, he kissed her slowly, deeply, flooding her mind with warmth and tenderness.

* * * * *

Three days later Jakkin received a summons from General Lux. He was sharing breakfast with Kelsey in his cabin, as he did most every morning before heading off to work.

“Good news or bad?” She smiled in between sips of coffee. The morning had been peaceful, relaxed even, until the message hit his com-queue. Now he looked tense and uncomfortable. The past few days had been so perfect. Kelsey hated to see them end.

“I’m not sure if it’s good or bad. We’re supposed to report to the Bunker for a meeting at ten thirty. It says discretion is imperative. We’re not to mention the meeting to anyone.”

“That sounds ominous.” She set down her mug and wiped her mouth with the napkin she had draped across her lap. “Are you sure they want both of us?”

“Yes, but that’s all it says. Be at the Bunker by ten thirty.”

“Do you know where the Bunker is? I’ve heard of the complex, but the location is Top Secret.”

“General Lux included coordinates.”

“It’s almost nine now,” she pointed out. “Can we make it by ten thirty?”

“Easily.”

The coordinates led to a secluded complex in the middle of the Arizona desert. It didn’t look like much from the surface, but as their shuttle approached, the parking lot split down the middle and slid open like massive horizontal doors.

“Well, this is interesting,” Jakkin muttered as he quickly adjusted their trajectory. Instead of landing on the parking lot, he lowered the shuttle through the opening and into an underground landing bay.

Kelsey remained quiet and still until the shuttle touched down. She knew from personal experience that the shuttles more or less flew themselves, but this maneuver had been like threading a needle.

Jakkin ran a quick post-flight analysis, then powered down the shuttle. “Ready?” He unfastened his safety restraints and stood.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She released her straps and joined her mate in the middle of the shuttle. “I try to remain positive, but I have a bad feeling about this.”

He pulled her into his arms for a quick, reassuring kiss, then opened the hatch and motioned her toward the stairs.

She took a deep breath, smoothed down her skirt and headed for the hatch. She’d chosen a chocolate-brown business suit with a narrow skirt and short jacket instead of her usual safari dress. The matching pumps had higher heels than she generally tolerated, but she wanted to look her best. Knowing that Morgan Hoyt, renowned beauty and accomplished leader, was going to be present had nothing to do with her need to look attractive. At least that was what she tried to convince herself.

They were met by an armed guard rather than a warm welcome and the tension in Kelsey’s stomach tightened even farther. Jakkin didn’t seem to be surprised by the snub, so Kelsey tried not to dwell on it.

With endless halls and unmarked doors, the Bunker looked like any office building on Earth, except that the majority of the complex was underground. It quickly became apparent, however, that the facility was much larger than Kelsey had first thought.

The guard led them to a nondescript room with an oval conference table. Kelsey recognized Sedrik Lux from the brief holo-com she’d witnessed in the control center of Jakkin’s ship. Her first impression of the general was reinforced as he stood and shook their hands. General Lux was even taller than he’d appeared in the holo-com and just as impressive.

“Right on time,” he said to Jakkin, and then to her, “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Lindon.”

“Likewise, General Lux.” His handshake was firm, but not hurtful. He clearly understood his own strength.

“This is Drexel Kaen, Senior Council for the battle born. He’s also here at my request.”

As the general introduced Drexel, he pushed to his feet and held out his hand. “Everyone calls me Drex,” he told them as he shook their hands.

After the introductions concluded, he sat back down and continued scrolling through the documents he had on his datapad. His dark blue suit was clearly custom made for his lean frame and he had distinct blue streaks running through his shiny black hair. The youthfulness of his features was contradicted by the shrewd intensity of his gaze. And he had the brightest phitons Kelsey had ever seen. The rings literally glowed with sapphire light.

He looks elite. Jakkin made the word sound corrosive. Why would an elite lawyer agree to represent the battle born?

Isn’t Apex General Nox elite? It still felt strange to speak mind-to-mind. They talked about him in orientation. According to Indigo, this entire movement was begun by an elite general on behalf of his battle born brothers.

Jakkin glanced at her and smiled, looking rather sheepish. Point taken. I’ll reserve my judgement for later.

Before they could choose seats, the door opened and two human females strode into the room. They were both dressed in business suits similar to the one Kelsey wore. One had rich red hair and model-perfect features. Director Morgan Hoyt no doubt. The second had auburn hair and strange yellowish eyes. She wasn’t as classically beautiful as Morgan, but there was something exotic about her that drew Kelsey’s attention. And she wasn’t the only one intrigued by the yellow-eyed female. Drexel Kaen watched her with obvious interest.

“Did you introduce Drex?” Morgan asked Sedrik.

“I did.” Sedrik returned to his seat on the other side of Drex and Morgan sat at the far end of the table. Her companion sat on Morgan’s left, which put her next to the general. Jakkin pulled out a chair across from the others and Kelsey sat down. Then he sat on her right, which left an empty chair between Morgan and Kelsey.

Morgan motioned to her companion. “This is Doctor Jenna Fermont. She served as Solicitor General at the DOJ until nine months ago when she was asked to chair the First Contact Committee. This interdepartmental panel has a vitally important purpose. They are in the process of creating specific policies governing U.S. interaction with visitors from other planets.”

They’d arrived together, so Kelsey had assumed they were allies. Morgan’s body language and the tension in her voice told a different story.

“I’ll let Doctor Fermont explain the reason for this meeting.”

“Thank you, Director Hoyt.” Jenna sounded as annoyed as Morgan, but her sculpted features hid her irritation more convincingly. “Before I begin, I need each of you to sign a nondisclosure agreement.” She slid paper forms across the table toward Jakkin and Kelsey, then handed Sedrik another two.

Morgan passed out pens, her posture still tense and slightly hostile.

The general handed a form to Drex, his expression wary. “Is this really necessary?”

“Only if Commander Arvik is interested in clearing his name.” Jenna shrugged, her features devoid of emotion.

Sedrik glanced at the form then looked at Drex. “Is the language acceptable?”

Drex nodded, making the blue highlights in his hair gleam. “It’s all fairly standard. We can’t talk about, or in any other way communicate, anything that takes place during this meeting. The ‘or else’ is less common, five years in prison and half a million in fines.”

“Can they enforce that?” Sedrik wanted to know.

“My role is more nuanced now, but I still represent the U.S. government,” Jenna told him.

With obvious reluctance, both Sedrik and Drex signed the agreement. Kelsey looked at Jakkin, noticing for the first time that his form was written in Rodyte.

“Why all the secrecy?” he asked, tapping his pen against the contract.

“Welcome to doing business with the U.S. government,” Morgan grumbled. “Secrecy is all they know.”

“We can’t proceed until you sign,” Jenna said emphatically.

“Do you actually intend to clear my name or is this a clever way of reneging on our agreement?” The tapping of his pen sped and his phitons began to glow.

“They’ll follow through or I’ll encourage my people to stage a rebellion of their own. We can’t do our jobs if our government is going to use us as scapegoats.”

Kelsey didn’t know Morgan well enough to determine if she meant it, but she sounded deadly serious.

“There is no reason for threats, Director Hoyt.” Jenna did not seem amused.

“I guess my reputation can’t get any worse than it is right now.” Jakkin sprawled his name across the bottom of the contract, then he threw the pen down on top of it and slid both across the table.

“Ms. Lindon.” Jenna waited expectantly.

She was already considered a traitor, so she had nothing to lose by keeping her mouth shut about some Top Secret meeting. She signed the contract and slid it to Jenna. Then she reached over and squeezed Jakkin’s hand.

“Thank you.” Jenna collected the contracts into a neat stack and tucked them inside her leather attaché. “Now, this is how it’s going to work. The terms offered are nonnegotiable. You will either cooperate, or we will make no further effort on your behalf.”

Jakkin chuckled, but didn’t bother explaining his outburst.

Jenna continued as if no one noticed his laughter. “The battle born will try Martin Wallace, commonly known as Shadow Leader, and then Royce Marsden. You are free to utilize whatever form of jurisprudence your people commonly employ. We will not interfere in the process and will abide by the outcome as long as all of the blame falls on these two rogue agents.

“The U.S. government will admit to the following things and only the following things. One, we were aware of Solar Warden and chose to keep the program hidden from the public. Two, Shadow Leader was authorized by us to act with complete autonomy. Three, we provided funding for this program with insufficient oversight. We expect the third fact to be emphasized during both trials.”

“Meaning, I get to crawl out from under the bus, because you’re throwing Marsden and Shadow Leader there instead?” Jakkin shook his head, looking anything but pleased by the development.

“If you choose to look at it that way.” Jenna offered another indifferent shrug. “I see it in a slightly different light. Shadow Leader empowered Marsden, and Marsden is directly responsible for both tragedies. The L.A. Massacre was in effect a horrendous accident, but the bombing of Vingarra was intentional, reckless, and set in motion by Royce Marsden.”

Drex scooted to the edge of his chair, blue phitons flashing. “Shadow Leader empowered Marsden. That much is true. But who empowered Shadow Leader?”

Their gazes locked and awareness sparked between them. “The government’s only mistake was trusting Shadow Leader with far more authority than he deserved. Do you understand?”

“I understand that you’re not looking for justice,” Drex snapped. “You’re looking for a performance with a predetermined outcome.”

“Call it what you like.” Jenna straightened her shoulders and sat a little straighter. “This is the only offer you’ll get.”

“Shadow Leader and Marsden are both human,” Sedrik pointed out. “Why insist that the battle born try them?”

“We’re not insisting, we’re allowing you to try them. That must be clear as well. Despite the actual destruction and loss of life, the bombing is the more important case. And the bombing took place on Lunar Nine.”

“How can you say that,” Kelsey flared. “Hundreds of thousands of people died in L.A.”

Much to her surprise, Drex explained. “The L.A. Massacre lacks a vital element for proving guilt, motive. No one intended to harm anyone. As Doctor Fermont said, it was a horrific accident.”

“Marsden says the same about the bombing,” Sedrik reminded. “The bombs were supposed to have exploded in an automated warehouse.”

“But they were still intended to harm,” Jenna said. “They were intentionally, and maliciously, placed in the food crate. It’s a much stronger case.”

The dynamics between the two lawyers was fascinating. They were on opposite sides of the issues, yet they clearly understood each other’s thinking. Not to mention the not-so-subtle sexual tension pulsing between them.

“Rodyte laws are much harsher than human,” Sedrik warned. “Will you really abide by our decision?”

“As long as you abide by the conditions I outlined,” Jenna stressed. A long moment of silence followed then she asked, “Are there any questions about our agreement or our expectations of you?”

“I want the entire procedure televised,” Sedrik decided.

“Why?” Distrust and skepticism formed her expression.

“I want there to be no misunderstandings. Unlike the U.S. government, the battle born prefer full disclosure.”

She looked at Drex, brows arching. “You really do want to turn this into a performance. Don’t you?”

He just grinned at her.

“If you want to blame everything on Shadow Leader and his wayward agent, I have no problem with that,” Sedrik concluded. “They are primarily to blame. I just want to make damn sure no one else goes under the proverbial bus.”