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“You were brave then too,” he tells me. “You just didn’t know it yet.”

Behind us, Melvall mutters something about keeping watch while Zoran suggests increasingly outlandish battle strategies. Their bickering has become oddly comforting – a reminder that I’m not alone anymore. I don’t have to carry this burden by myself.

We pause behind a small ridge, the communications tower looming ahead of us. A single guard stands at attention by the entrance – I recognize the spiky green-tipped hair even from this distance.

“I know him,” I whisper to my companions. “He was one of the guards who tried to arrest me before.”

“Want us to take care of him?” Zoran asks eagerly, already half-rising before Melvall yanks him back down.

“We need a plan,” Melvall hisses. “Something subtle. Perhaps I could create a distraction while?—”

“Or we could charge in!” Zoran interrupts. “Nothing says subtlety like a good frontal assault.”

I watch them argue tactics, remembering how I once froze at the first sign of conflict. Now their enthusiasm brings a fierce joy to my heart. I’m not that scared girl anymore, always second-guessing herself. I know exactly what needs to be done.

“We’re not going to hurt him,” I say firmly, cutting through their debate. Both males turn to look at me, clearly surprised by my commanding tone. “But we do need him out of the way. Volan?”

I glance at my mate, and find him already moving. Like shadows merging, he seems to simply fade into the snowy landscape. Sometimes I forget just how lethal he can be when he wants to be. How did I ever think I could handle this quest alone when having allies like this makes everything so much easier?

Zoran opens his mouth, probably to suggest throwing someone again, but Melvall clamps a hand over it. We watch in silence as Volan approaches the guard from behind, swift and silent as death itself.

Volan moves with fluid grace I remember from the colony attack, when he rescued me from these very same guards – the way he’d flow through combat like it was a dance, every movement precise and controlled. Back then, I’d been terrified of his lethal efficiency. Now watching him stalk toward green-tips, my heart races for an entirely different reason.

“Wait for it,” I whisper to Zoran and Melvall. Zoran practically vibrates with anticipation while Melvall rolls his eyes.

“If we time this right—” Melvall starts.

“I say we—” Zoran interrupts.

They both fall silent as Volan strikes. One moment green-tips is scanning the horizon, the next he’s caught in Volan’s iron grip, a knife pressed against his throat. The guard’s eyes go wide with recognition when he sees me stand and approach. Confident. I walk up to him like I have no care in the world. I don’t. I know that Volan will come for me now. I’m not alone.

“You? Seriously?”, green-tips groans. “Not again.”

“Afraid so,” I reply, unable to hold back my smile. “Though this time, you might want to hear us out before trying to arrest anyone.”

“Even if arresting people is your favorite hobby,” Zoran adds helpfully as he bounds over. “Though I still say we could have gone with my plan.”

“Your plan involved throwing me at him,” Melvall points out, following at a more dignified pace. “That’s not a plan. That’s just you wanting to throw me at things.”

“It would have worked!”

“Name one time throwing me has ever worked.”

My victorious smile falters as I listen to my companions banter.

“Wait, Zoran’s actually thrown you? You aren’t just joking around?”

“We agreed never to speak of that again,” Melvall snaps, giving Zoran a very intense glare.

I shake my head, turning my focus back to my task. This is a story for another time, clearly. I’m absolutely certain Zoran will be happy to spill the beans. Green-tips stares at my alien companions with a mixture of terror and fascination.

“Don’t worry,” I tell him. “They’re actually quite friendly. Well, mostly friendly.”

“Very friendly,” Zoran agrees. “Want to see how far I can throw?—”

“No!” Melvall and I say in unison.

Green-tips swallows hard. “What... what do you want?”