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Can Garrick overcome his biology if we aren’t?

If any Aurelian can, it’s him and his triad. I have to trust them…

But either way, I know I won’t be able to convince him to sit this mission out. Tasha’s going with Aelon, and I’m going with him.

I cross my arms, staring up at him. “Garrick, if you go, I’m going with you. Just like Aelon and Tasha. Either you take me in your ship, or I’m getting into a Reaver and following right along behind you. You justtryto stop me.”

He looks down at me, and there’s a flash of fear. Fear of losing me. He longs for me, desperate in his need, vulnerable in his protectiveness. He runs a thick finger along my cheek. Tar’ank and Markrin step in closer, and though we aren’t Bonded, I can almost feel their auras supporting me.

“Sawoot, I don’t know if you’re my Fated Mate or not—and I don’t care. I’ve never bothered with a harem, like the Aurelians on Colossus. I’ve never found a woman worthy of me before, and I haven’t chased every female I’ve seen just in case they’re my mate.”

I’m making the one mistake I always promised myself I never would.

I’m going to trust an Aurelian.

I’m going to stay with him and hope desperately that it’s true. That even if we aren’t Bonded, he’ll try to make a future with me. He takes my hands, gentle yet firm, and the fear disappears from his eyes. “It’s not ego to say that—it’s a fact. If you’d accompany my triad on this mission, we’d be proud to fight by your side. You’re a woman of honor, and I’d never be capable of loving one without it.”

I smile up at him. Love. Does he really love me? Whatever he feels, I know one thing for certain. He respects me. He doesn’t treat me like some stupid little thing, needing a big strong Aurelian’s protection. He doesn’t look down on me like most Aurelians look down at humans.

We’re going to fight these fucking Toads together.

“Aelon, can you spare a man to Orb-Shift Theme out if our plan fails? If we die, so be it. We’ll die by each other’s sides, but I want to know he gets out safe.” Tasha takes care of her crew once again.

“I can.” Aelon nods. He snaps his fingers at one of the Aurelians rushing past and points to the Reaver where Theme is still cowering.

“If our plan fails,” Aelon orders, “then you get that human out of here. If the Toad signal blockers jam Orb-Shifting, just fly as fast and as far as you can in the opposite direction until you’re out of range. Then shift out. Don’t stop for anything, got it?”

“Aye, Captain,” nods the Aurelian, boarding Theme’s Reaver.

Tasha follows Aelon’s triad to the Reaver, looking so small within the huge bodies of the aliens ready for war. They are in their combat armor, dull and functional, thick plates of reinforced metal. Garrick snaps his fingers, and the back of his Reaver opens to the cargo bay. It’s not lost on me that the cargo bay and brig can be connected to increase space. Used to be in the Old Ways that they would be filled to the brim with female prisoners shipped to the Aurelian bases to be used as pleasure slaves.

“I hate those things,” I say, as triad after triad of Aurelian loads Orbs into the back of Garrick’s attack ships. They are in huge crates, and if I could see inside, I know whatever chemical mixture Iunia created is already bubbling and hissing. It’ll pass whatever AI scanners the Toads use. But if they break open the box, they might have minutes—or seconds—before the entire thing detonates. It’s practically Old Earth technology.

“Me too,” answers Tar’ank. I’m surprised. Aurelians and Orbs go hand in hand. Literally. Their fierce swords are powered by the bloodthirsty things. He looks down to his weapon, shrugging. “Necessity.”

Looks like I have a lot to learn about these three.

I hope I survive long enough to know everything.

Garrick runs his hand down my back gently. I feel his big fingers through the sheer material, and I wish we could just run back to his rooms so he could rip them off. He’s so gentle, it’s like I’m made of porcelain. “I’m not going to break, Garrick. You don’t need to treat me like a vase.”

He smiles, warm, enjoying the moments before the storm. “No. But I’m still going to do everything to keep you safe. When this is over, we’re going straight to our station.”

I swallow, fear making my heart pound. “Let’s not jinx it,” I reply, not letting myself imagine a future with the triad after we get through this.

If we get through this.

It isn’t just the Toads I’m worried about.

I’m starting to like the way I feel around these three, and if we aren’t Bonded…

I trust them instinctively. I breathe in, and he just smells so right, so masculine, so healthy. But that doesn’t mean they are my Fated Mates. It’s still likely the one triad I could have been Bonded to was a rapist killer and his two brutes.

Garrick and his triad aren’t like other Aurelians, but they’re still Aurelians.

And Aurelians need to find their Fated Mates.

Focus on getting through this alive.