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In the real world, the Aurelians struggle to stabilize his physical condition – and the high-tech medical equipment seems to do its job.

Nodding at Quint’s condition, the Aurelian Captain turns to us.

“What thefuckare you three…”

He trails off when he sees our eyes. Then, Marcel stands to his full height. He’s a head taller than the Captain, and he stares down at him with the piercing green eyes that mark him as a Bonded Aurelian.

The Captain turns to me – the human female who is clearly the Fated Mate of these three warriors.

His stern expression softens.

“She’s?”

It’s like the Aurelian Captain is looking at a religious artifact, the reverence with which he stares at me.

“She’s Bonded.”

The Captain stares at me for another second – and then seemingly snaps out of his trance. With a click of his fingers, Quint is lifted away on a stretcher. I try to run after him, but the Captain grabs my hand tightly.

Marcel snarls. His auraspikesat the sight of another man touching me. He instinctively reaches towards the hilt of his Orb-Blade.

“No!”

Before he can draw, he’s assaulted by a dozen Aurelian soldiers. They haul him to the ground and cuff him. Then, I see the clink of cold metal around Lucius’s wrists.

The Captain stares down at me.

“I take it I won’t need cuffs with you?”

He speaks slowly in the Common tongue. His words are unpracticed, and I surmise this officer has spent the majority of his lifetime here on Colossus, speaking only High Aurelian.

“They will not be necessary,” I nod, speaking in the High Tongue. His eyebrows raise.

Marcel and Lucius are pulled away from me – marched down the hallways towards the boarding vessels.

Being on a Toad mothership without explanation is one thing. Reaching for your Orb-Blade to assault an officer is quite another.

“You will explain yourself to the Queen.”