Page 135 of Wrapped in Their Arms

And yet…all the treatments in the world couldn’t reverse everything thatLupinhad done to her.

Case in point—she still looked twenty-five.

When she caught a glimpse of herself in the 3-Dviewer in the bathroom one morning, she had to do a double take.Herskin was smooth and glowing.Herhair—now brushed and clean again—was thick and glossy, with not a single silver strand in sight.Eventhe soft lines at the corners of her eyes had faded to nothing.

When her friendSylviacame to visit, she’d gasped out loud.

“Dios mío,Noelle!Youlookincredible,” she’d whispered, clutching her hand.“Likeyou’ve had the most expensive spa treatment of your life…or a secret affair with a hot alien who knowsexactlywhere to kiss.”

Noelle had laughed, a little too loudly, but she had not explained.

What could she say?

“I got kidnapped by space pirates who forced me to undergo horrific rejuvenation treatments and thenIwas bought by aTrolloxand drugged into orgasmic slavery along with a pair ofKindredwarriors who gave me the best sex of my life but now won’t even talk to each other?”

Yeah, no thanks.

She lovedSylvia, but the pain was still too fresh to talk about.Sheneeded to keep it to herself—to process it.Theonly people she really wanted to talk to about it wereBurnandBright—they had all gone through it together.Butsince theLightTwinandTheDarkTwinweren’t speaking, that made things difficult.

Sylvia had hugged her, left her with a bag ofEarthsnacks, and promised to check in again soon.

And now it wasChristmasEve.

Noelle sat on the edge of her hospital bed, dressed in one of the softKindredtravel tunics she’d been given—deep red with silver piping around the cuffs and aV-shaped neckline.Hersoft boots were zipped up and her hair was twisted into a loose chignon at the base of her neck.Inthe pocket of her tunic, a small silver vial pressed against her hip with quiet insistence.

It wasBondingFruitjuice.

She’d gotten it from one of the nurses, a pretty blonde girl who had admitted that she was mated toTwinKindredwarriors.

“It’s not illegal to have the concentrated form of the juice,” the nurse had assured her.“Justrare.Andsometimes, a little push is all they need to come together.”

Noelle didn’t know if she’d use it to convince the guys to come back together.Shehopedshe wouldn’t have to.Butit was there, just in case.

She was finally being released from theMedCenter.Andnot a moment too soon—she missed herAbuelafiercely, and she’d promised to be there forChristmasdinner.CommanderSylvanhad cleared her for travel and even offered to send an escort with her, but she’d declined.Shejust wanted to go back to her suite, pack up, and leave quietly.

There was still a dull ache in her chest…a space shaped exactly liketwoKindredwarriors.

She hadn’t seenBurnonce since arriving on theMotherShip.AndwhileBrighthad visited once more, his entire energy was dimmed, like a star flickering at the edge of collapse.

“He won’t take my calls,”Brighthad said, his voice hollow.“Noteven theThink-me.Itried bespeaking him mentally… nothing.Justa blank wall.”

Noelle had clenched her jaw.

Fine.IfBurnwas too stubborn to answerBright, maybe he’d answerher.

And so, she had a plan.

StepOne—go back to her suite and pack her things forEarth.

StepTwo—call bothBrightandBurnand ask—no,insist—that they meet her.

StepThree—get them in a room together and make them talk.Justtalk.

StepFour…?Well, she had theBondingFruit.Justin case.

Even if they never managed to form aTwin-Bond—even if the prophecy was dead and gone—she was still willing totry.Willingto love them both.Becausewhat the three of them had shared hadmeantsomething.

And she wasn’t letting it go without a fight.