Page 56 of Border Control

“It won’t happen again,” I say smoothly, the words meant for both Morgan and the aliens.

“It better not,” Morgan snaps. “John and I will send you questions at the breaks and at lunch. Stand by to answer them the second they come in.” He hangs up.

I slump to the floor and Dom gathers me up, glaring at my cell as if it’s the phone’s fault. But I was the one who lost control of my emotions, who let myself freak out. I had a panic attack.

A pulse of pain throbs in the back of my head, like I’ve overstrained my eyes trying to read case files on my tablet late into the night. It’s probably from having interlopers inside my skull. As soon as I notice it, it’s whisked away, and Dom’s eyes tighten at the edges like he’s bracing himself.

“Did.. did you do that?” I ask, my voice hoarse.

“A good Base helps their Apex balance out extreme emotions and pain, yes.” He sits up, still holding me in his lap.

‘There, see? A new Apex,’Arik says, a tinge of a tease there. But I can tell he’s as shaken as I am.

An Apex? Me? My body goes cold. “I’m not a powerful psychic, am I?”

“No,” Dom says. “Arik is being irreverent.”

Arik states,‘But you do have Apex traits, such as broadcasting everything everywhere all at once. We suggest you learn to moderate them.’

“Do what to my who?”

‘You are shouting, esteemed female,’Arik informs me.

“Which is fine,” Dom quickly assures me.

“No, it’s not fine.” So I’m basically screaming my deepest feelings at them, verbally and emotionally. Great.

Putting my phone on the floor, I turn to Dom. “How did this happen?”

He shakes his head. “I don't know. Your aura was everywhere, all over me, and I… I’m unaware of how this happened.”

“It must have been when we were playing last night,” I mutter. Damn and blast. I had the most mind blowing orgasm from the guy, and now he's in deeper than anyone has any right to be.

‘Mind blowing?’he echoes, a tinge of orange touching his scales and a brief but genuine grin.

Argh. “Look, I value my privacy very highly. You're the first partner to even come to my apartment, so I'm already stretching some of my absolute no-no’s for you. We need to get this fixed, today.”

All traces of his earlier pride fall away, shoulders rounding. “I don't know if I can. How mind sync’s are formed, how they are broken, it's not something Parthiastocks are taught. I recall how the bond developed between Nevare, Arik and I. It was instinctive, immediate.”

I rub the bridge of my nose, forcing my hands not to shake. It’s just shock. That’s all. “I need to get in contact with my colleague, but… bombast scuts, this is a pretty pickle.”

“I can teach you to modulate your broadcasts. There are… not laws, not quite regulations governing mind sync’d sendings, but I don't know the word. Rules?”

There’s a mind soup sensation of him trying out different words to see how they fit what he’s trying to say. It’s… not entirely unpleasant, more like overhearing a conversation at the table next to mine in a busy restaurant. Nosy, but not intrusive.

“Conventions, or etiquette, we might say,” I explain.

His eager smile makes my breath catch. “Yes, indeed, those. I can teach you, and Nevare and Arik will of course respect them.” He says the last bit rather firmly.

‘Of course we will.’Arik sounds offended.

‘What are we doing?’Nevare asks, only just now refocusing on the conversation.

With a low breath, Dom states,‘We are respecting our female’s privacy. Do not explore this mind sync link, Nevare.’

‘But she’s constantly sending data and color over, it’ll be hard to ignore.’

Oh, fuck. I grab handfuls of my hair and hunch down over my knees, as if that will help. But it won’t, because this is something I don't understand.