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“I told them three words.Set me free.”

There’s a hush in the courtroom.

“I didn’t expect them to be able to help me,” Natalie admits. “I didn’t truly believe they’d come to my home and take me away – but I had to try. You don’t know what it’s like, growing up behind walls – never being allowed to leave without an army of Sentinels surrounding me. I grew up barely talking to another person. The Aurelians? They wanted tohelpme.”

Set me free.

Hope surges up inside of me. Somehow, someway, I felt the right thing to say – even without the power of the Bond to help me.

Maybe I knew Natali better than any of the others in my triad. Or, maybe, some higher power guided my path. It was the only way out. It was a chance as slim as the Bond.

Mr. Carani’s cold grin is wiped instantly from his face. He stares slack-jawed at the holo-vid. The video ends, and Lieutenant Taggar waves his hand to dismiss it.

“I’d originally thought that this was a last-ditch lie by a young woman – who was so in love, she’d say anything to save her Mates. Now, though, I’ve heard you corroborate the story yourselves.”

Taggar turns to us.

“So, Brennan – did you believe that Natali’s plea was to kidnap her?”

Brennan stiffens in his seat. “We knew she wanted to get away,” he said coldly. “Maybe we chose too dangerous a method to do it – but we were acting in her best interest, at her own request. This wasnota kidnapping, Lieutenant. This wasnota crime.”

Lieutenant Taggar slowly nods. His brows furrow. He’s making a decision right now that will be heard throughout the galaxies.

I look up at him, and he makes eye contact directly with me – not my leader, Brennan, butme.

Lieutenant Taggar sees my Bond-Changed eyes, and maybe that’s what finally pushes him over the edge.

He stands and bangs his gavel on the podium in front of him.

“I’ve heard enough. I’m ready to render my verdict.”

My heart races. Now, we will discover our fate – and whether this ruse is enough to keep us together with our Fated Mate.

“The duty of an Aurelian Warrior is a sacred one,” Lieutenant Taggar speaks. “Brennan, Otho, and Lazar – you have served the Empire with distinction, both during your hundred years of service, and beyond.”

His eyes narrow.

“But there are standards of behavior expected from those who represent our Empire. There are laws that must be upheld. What you three are accused of is a violation of every principle upheld by the Empire – and, if you were guilty of such crimes, you’d deserve nothing less than the minimum sentence I can deliver.”

Three hundred years, without our Fated Mate.

“However,” Taggar adds, “we also have a duty as Aurelians to uphold justice, and defend those who cannot defend themselves.” He looks down at the list of charges in front of him. “Ms. Carani was very clear in what she said – and because she asked you to liberate her from her father, I am forced to maintain that your actions were legal, and justifiable.”

The gavel lands on the podium with a crack.

“Charges dismissed.”

A ripple of shock and surprise passes through the crowd. I can barely believe it myself. With the crack of that gavel, Lieutenant Taggar hasn’t just shown us leniency – he’s shown usmercy.

Mr. Carani isn’t so impressed. He leaps up, charging toward us – but an Aurelian Law Enforcement agent swiftly grabs him and pulls him back. A good job, too – as I’m not sure what Natali’s old father could have hoped to accomplish, going up against three Aurelians warriors.

I turn to my battle-brothers. Lazar’s guilt has morphed first into confusion, and now wonder. He can’t understand it. He looks at me, shaking his head slowly.

“How the hell did you know what to say?”

I don’t know if I can take any credit for the words though. I justfeltthem. I felt that they were the only words that could make sense of this madness.

“She said that if she could go back in time,”I telepath to my battle-brothers,“she’d have asked us to take her. It was the only story that would convince Lieutenant Taggar, because it’s the truth.”