“Ice.” Emperor Chaos motioned for Ice to come into the room where he and Prime Minister Hallow sat a square table, cups in front of them containing something that smelled like peppertea. “How is the investigation coming?”

The prime minister stiffened at that. No doubt he thought it was one more waste of time and resources.

“Honestly, I don’t know, Emperor. I’ve come to report on something else. Alana and I have engaged in sexual relations.” Ice could still feel her heat around him, could still taste her on his lips.

The prime minister’s face looked as if it would collapse on itself at any moment. “You had sex with that human?”

“You should watch your tone when speaking about Alana,” Ice said, the words out before it dawned on him the tone he was taking with Crimea’s Prime Minister.

“Are you threatening me, Ice Silverkiller?” Hallow’s eyes narrowed as he stood.

Emperor Chaos stood and moved between them, his hands out as if to hold each of them back from the other. “Of course he isn’t threatening you. Calm down.” He turned to Ice. “You did this as an experiment, I take it. Have you learned anything from it?”

“Your Majesty, it wasn’t an experiment. I want her. But I still can’t explain why.”

Chaos didn’t smile but he was clearly pleased. “I see. You’ve spent a great deal more time with her than any other Crimean. And humans are sexually instinctive and active from what we know. Perhaps that’s the missing puzzle piece, and it will only take one person in a pairing to be interested for it to encourage the other?”

“I’m not sure,” Ice said. “But I do know that no Crimean woman has ever had this effect on me. I—I can’t stop thinking about her even now.”

The emperor glanced at the prime minister, who looked like he might spit up his peppertea, then looked to Ice. “This is wonderful news. Not only did you engage in mating, you want more. This is what’s needed to ensure our continued survival. And if Alana can bring out the mating urge in one Crimean, perhaps she can do the same for more. They in turn can bring out the urge in Crimean women.” The emperor crossed his arms. “Do you think she’d be willing to engage in sexual relations with several more of our men?”

Ice heard the prime minister’s scoff with the part of his mind that hadn’t just gone red hot at the emperor’s suggestion. “No!”

Both the prime minister and the emperor leaned back, shocked. Ice had just shouted at them.

“I—I’m sorry. Forgive me.”

“You do not like the idea of her having sex with other Crimeans?”

“No. Not at all.” Ice didn’t just dislike the idea, he hated it. The very thought made him angry and made him want to wrap his arms around Alana to protect her from such things. He didn’t like feeling angry, but the scientist in him found it fascinating.

The prime minister moved closer, his slitted eyes boring into Ice. “You only want her to have sex with you? Remarkable. You’re jealous of an alien female.” He turned to the emperor. “Do you see, Chaos? Where these kinds of ideas lead? If he can grow that attached to an alien in a matter of a few days, wait until they’ve known each other a few months. You can expect betrayal, pain, poor choices from these kinds of feelings and relationships. I warned you about all this.”

Chaos sighed, then caught himself. “Prime Minister, Ice is not about to betray us for this woman, as there’s no cause for his jealousy to start with. I won’t require her to mate with any other men. And he hardly seems broken up about his own sexual experience. Ice, are you all right? Do you feel well?”

Ice glared at the prime minister before answering. “I am well, Emperor. I feel as good as I ever have. The experience was intensely pleasurable.” Thinking about it now threatened to arouse him again, so he focused on the prime minister’s sour face instead.

“And now,” the prime minister groaned, “you want the woman all to yourself. Your mission was to find a way for Crimeans to learn to love again, to reproduce naturally. You come in here with what could be the key, and you want to horde it! See, Chaos. Already a loyal Crimean has been made selfish by feelings and acts we have learned to live above!”

Chaos held his hand up to stop the prime minister’s rant. “Ice, continue to spend time with Alana. Explore these new instincts, and learn what you can about awakening them in others. I feel like you’ve given our planet hope, you and Alana. You’ve done well. I will arrange for Alana to have full Imperial ranking and clearance to our libraries, in case there are things she could find useful in her research. Every hospitality and resource will be provided for her.”

The prime minister scoffed again. “That’s right, drain the coffers for a scheme that should never have been authorized—”

“Prime Minister, I have made my decision.” The emperor moved to sit and sip his tea. “Thank you, Ice. Report back to me when there’s something new to tell. I trust you and Alana will get to work on this immediately.”

“Of course, Emperor.” Ice gave him a quick bow and hurried to give Alana the news of her new status in Crimean society. He also longed to touch her again and taste her kiss, and feel her body pressed against his, even if only in a quick embrace before they got to work.

Alana was busy writing down notes when he returned to her room, simple observations about Ice and his time with her. She allowed him to read them, and he found himself pleased at the things she said. It hadn’t gone unnoticed that though Ice didn’t really have emotions like she did, there were subtle changes in him during the short time they’d known each other. Changes aside from wanting to have sex with her, of course.

“Should we go to the libraries now?” Alana asked, after he’d relayed what the emperor said. “Now that we’ve seen some actual progress, maybe I can find something that’s restricted to the elite class that might help. At the very least, it’ll be interesting. I have a lot yet to learn about Crimea and its culture, after all.”

Ice agreed they could spend the day scouring through the libraries, but before they left her room, he put his hands on her shoulders. He wondered for a moment if he should ask her permission to kiss her, but she leaned in, understanding what he wanted.

His lips dragged across hers in a slow, heated kiss that thrilled Ice and made him want to postpone the library.

The future of my people is at stake. And we can spend only so many hours in the library. Tonight, when we’re finished, there will be time for this….

Ice was a little ashamed he had to remind himself of these things so firmly in order to pull away from Alana. He led her from her room toward the libraries.

As they walked along the path that took them through one of the few remaining flower gardens on Crimea that wasn’t for food purposes, Ice wondered if the colors had become brighter than before, or if he happened to be looking at them with a new perspective. Alana took in all the flowers and greenery, and her enjoyment seemed to enhance Ice’s appreciation of it. He’d only viewed all the greenery and the few flower gardens through the lens of science before—plants helped clean and oxygenate the air. Now he appreciated them on an aesthetic level for the pleasure they gave Alana.

“You know,” Alana said, “since the object is to promote love and relationships, we might as well set a good example.”

Alana’s hand slipped into his and held tight, her smile broad and…beautiful, Ice thought. It rivaled even the most delicate and colorful flowers in Crimea.

“Ice.” Commander Storm walked toward them on a side path and stopped, mouth slightly open, when he noticed their joined hands.

“Yes, Commander?” Ice said.

“Is everything all right?” Storm frowned at Alana. “Do you need assistance?”

Alana laughed sweetly. “I’m fine. He’s not holding me up, Storm. Just holding my hand.”

Storm still looked confused, and Ice felt for him. He’d have been confused if he saw someone else doing it. But Alana’s hand felt right in his, like it belonged there. He wanted Storm and other Crimeans to know what it was like.

“I’ve just been to see Emperor Chaos,” Storm said, still looking at their hands. “He told me of your breakthrough. I was coming to find you to see if I could help in any way, and to inform you that sabotage was confirmed by the investigators. The ship was crippled intentionally so our mission would fail.”

Ice wasn’t surprised, but it was still a disappointing outcome. Now they had to prove who did it and why, which was much harder than discovering the treachery in the first place.

“Where do we start?” Ice asked.

“I think we start with our suspicions, and once he’s ruled out, we’ll formulate a new plan.”

“You have a suspect?” Alana said, moving closer so they could speak softly.

Storm met Ice’s eyes. Clearly, he wasn’t sure how much of Crimean business Alana should know.

Ice said, “Prime Minister Hallow.” When Storm’s eyes narrowed, Ice was about to remind him that the emperor had given her the highest clearance. But Storm’s back straightened, his head snapped to the side, and he tackled both of them to the ground.

A plasma pulse crackled in the air above their heads. If Storm hadn’t thrown them down, it would have hit its mark—Alana.

“Stay down.” Storm bounced to his feet in one smooth move and smacked the com on his wrist. “Armed assistance to Botanical Enclave Four. Fatal attack attempted on Alana Watson….” Storm’s voice trailed off as he ran after the shooter. Ice covered Alana’s body with his own and tried to see who Storm ran after, but more soldiers swarmed the area so quickly, it was impossible to see who or what was happening.

“It’s clear,” someone shouted in their direction, so Ice helped Alana to her feet. He cupped her face and searched her eyes. “Are you hurt?”

Alana shook her head. “I’m fine.”

Ice stared at her, unconvinced.

“This isn’t the part where a woman says she’s fine but she’s not okay, like in the relationship thing you read. Different scenario. I’m really okay.”

He nodded. “I’m glad.”

They hurried to where the crowd had gathered. Storm, his fist twisted in a man’s tunic, turned to them. “Recognize him?” he asked Ice.

The man’s wrists were already bound behind him, and the side of his face was scraped, a thin line of blood running from his cheekbone to his jaw. Ice couldn’t name him, but he was sure he’d seen the man speaking to the prime minister once before, long ago.

Before Ice realized what he was doing, he lunged at the would-be assassin and struck him across the face with his closed fist. He wanted to tear the man’s head from his shoulders because he’d dared to hurt Alana.

“Ice!” Storm pulled the man away from him and glared.

Ice felt no need to apologize. He wished Storm would let him do worse. The rage inside him had only been quelled a little. “The prime minister should be able to identify him,” Ice said.

Storm nodded. “I thought the same. We’ll question him with the emperor present and get what information we can.”

A woman wearing a long, silver cape approached them so gracefully and quickly it was as if she was gliding above the ground instead of walking. She headed for Alana, but Ice took Alana’s hand and pulled her behind him. Storm noticed, and stood between them and the woman, who stopped a few feet from them.

“I’m here on behalf of the empress.”

Storm didn’t move. He shoved the man toward the half-circle of soldiers. “Take him to the emperor and wait for me.” When the soldiers had gone, Storm stepped aside, but just barely. Ice wasn’t going to let a potential threat get close to Alana, so he stood his ground.

“The empress wished for me to give this to Alana Watson.” She held up a message pod and turned it so Ice could see what it was. “I am Moonstone Pond, attaché to the empress. You may verify this if you wish. I’ll wait.”

Ice didn’t need to verify it. He knew of her. But Storm took the pod and examined it carefully before handing it to Ice.

Moonstone clicked her tongue. “The message is meant for Alana Watson. I must be sure she receives it.”

Ice stepped aside and placed the pod in Alana’s palm, then tapped the top. The reedy voice of the Dowager Empress rose from it. “Please meet with me as soon as possible, Alana Watson. Come to the palace, and this pod will guide you to my location. Moonstone, if you’re hearing this, you’re dismissed with my thanks.”

Moonstone nodded at them and left as quickly as she’d come.

“I’m coming with you,” Storm said. “I’ll follow at a distance where I can see any potential threats more easily.”

He wouldn’t get any argument from Ice. Alana had to be protected, and not just because their survival depended on her. Ice couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to her…for personal reasons.

“What do you think she wants?” Alana asked. Ice felt a strange sense of pride at how steady she seemed. An attempt had just been made on her life, and she was as curious and quick as she’d always been.

Ice and Storm exchanged a look. If it was a simple meeting, she could have summoned Alana to the palace without the need for her attaché to deliver a pod. A simple escort would do. The promise of the pod guiding Alana meant the empress wasn’t going to be where one might expect.

“I’m not sure, but you’re not going alone.” Ice took Alana’s hand and turned them in the direction of the Imperial palace.