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She’s more than a linguist and transcriptionist. When I cut the connection between the ship and Sister Andria, she was mid-sentence. What were they hiding about Neev? The bigger question is does Neev know what it is? Is she keeping secrets?

Not that it matters. She’s my mate. Even if she rejects the bond, I’ll do anything to keep her safe.

“Raiz.” Hyva smacks his hand on my desk, jolting me from thoughts of Neev. “Have you been listening?”

“Yes.”

The glare he shoots my way makes it clear that he doesn’t believe me.

“What are we going to do about the fact that she’s your mate?” Altis asks.

“What do you mean, do about it?” I turn my attention to him. “There’s nothing we can do about it. What’s done is done.”

“Does she know?” Vynia asks.

“No.”

“Don’t you think you should tell her?” She gives me a pointed look. “She probably doesn’t even know what it means.”

“The thrumming will only get louder until the bond is joined,” Hyva adds. “Has she noticed it?”

“I believe so. She seems to be drawn to it.” Like the way she melted into me on the way back from the beach. “It’s happened a few times when she’s needed me.”

“She hasn’t asked about it?” Hyva stands and walks out of the study before I answer. He’s back within seconds, holding one of the books she’s been reading to familiarize herself with our history and biology. “I think there’s a section on mates in the back of this book.” He busies himself skimming the pages.

Talking about her makes me desperate, the need to pull her onto my lap and secure her to me is overwhelming. If I close off all my senses and focus on her, I feel her as she sits in her room. An ache spreads within me starting in my stomach and radiating through my limbs. An overwhelming yearning to go to her settles over me. Something feels wrong, but she told me not to seek her out tonight.

I look to Vynia. “Will you go check on her?”

“Now?” She tilts her head as she looks at me.

“Yes. Something feels off, and she told me she doesn’t want to see me tonight.”

“Okay.” She pushes to her feet. “Why doesn’t she want to see you?”

“She’s angry that I killed the inspector.”

“Why did you kill him?” She’s asking out of curiosity, not judgement.

“He touched her.” That’s the true, most important reason, but not the only one. “And he put together who she was and would have told the Sovereign.”

She inclines her head. “Fair enough. I’ll go check on her.”

“Do you think the Order is really coming for her?” Altis asks after the door closes behind Vynia.

“I hope not.” Because they won’t like how that ends. Neev with me and their ship in shambles. “I’m more concerned about the male that was speaking to her in her mind the last time she had an episode than anything else.”

“I still haven’t found anything that says humans have that type of skill,” Hyva says without looking up from his reading.

“What if she’s not just human?”

That forces his eyes up from the text. “Genetically her DNA is all human. Nothing mixed was identified by my scans.”

“Could they be hiding something from the IGC?”

Humans are a relatively newer group to the InterGalactic Council. The IGC mandates that every species shares an extensive history of civilization and genetics in order to join. It’s why Zeahiri hasn’t joined. The Sovereign doesn’t want to share our customs.

“That’d be risky,” Altis says.