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  Startled, she looked down and noted the obvious points on the tips of her breasts. Blushing, she went to the storage bin and took the white robes in her arms. She scuttled to the lav and changed quickly, snugging her breast-band into place before dropping the inner robe over her head, the outer robe quickly settling over her arms.

  Dressed in her normal clothing, she came out of the lav, bumping into Baengar. He was standing and waiting for her. “I didn’t mean to make you self-conscious.”

  “It’s fine. This is warmer. More layers, too.” She smiled brightly, her thoughts reeling as his scent warmed her from the inside out.

  He leaned down and kissed her. The only point of contact was the curve of his lips against hers, but she felt the caress down to her toes and back again.

  When he lifted his head, she blinked at him owlishly. “What was that?”

  “Testing a theory. We are going to Teklan. I have sent them the message and they have requested that you arrive to assist in locating any staff complicit in the plot.”

  She swallowed. “I don’t know if I can do that. How are we going in? What is our cover?”

  He winked. “We are dignitaries and newlyweds travelling with Equilar as part of her community service for dooming her family lines to death.”

  He wrapped an arm around her and escorted her back into the main cabin.

  “Buckle in, I am going to jump.” Equilar nodded and waited until they were seated before she engaged the jump engines.

  Ali blinked rapidly as she adjusted to the feeling of being hauled through two points in space in a manner not unlike threading a needle.

  Baengar patted her hand and took the navigator station, speaking into the com while Equilar handled their craft.

  She knew about Equilar’s past. The woman had gone mad with grief when her son was murdered and her granddaughter hunted, so she planted a viral agent that was designed to kill every royal Moreski male at the age of forty-five, the age of her son when he was killed. The Moreski royals were under a house arrest on their own world, but Equilar was free to enjoy the family that her son had created. Her atonement was to help the Alliance in any way she could and that included teaching etiquette and deportment at the Citadel Morganti.

  Finding a bomber on Teklan was much more in Ali’s wheelhouse than the gathering of information. It was something she could do and not just something she collected. It was a matter of active over passive.

  She listened to Baengar speaking to someone at the base named Might and she drummed her nails on the edge of her armrest.

  With nothing else to do, she wove her hair into a braid and tied it neatly. Sitting still was frustrating for a woman who had been physically active her entire life. Bored beyond her control, she got up and returned to the galley, dropping to the floor and doing thirty push-ups before starting sit-ups.

  Baengar appeared near her feet. “What are you doing?”

  “Exercising. We didn’t have our workout over the last few days and my body is jumpy.”

  “Might has offered a different cover story for us that will allow me to use my talents to the full. What do you prefer, feline or canine?”

  She blinked. “Uh, canine, I guess.”

  “Good choice. There is a chain for my neck in the bag.”

  Before she had a chance to ponder what he was talking about, he was removing the short wrap he wore and on all fours, the muscles of his body shifting and rolling until a huge dog sat in his place, the tongue wagging out happily.

  “Baengar?”

  He barked and she laughed. With a little bit of embarrassment, she sought his duffel and rummaged around in his personal effects. The chain that he had packed was elegant but masculine.

  “Do you always travel with this?” Ali felt her eyebrow rise in amusement.

  He wagged his tail and extended his head toward her.

  The clasp on the chain seemed simple so she opened the link and knelt next to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and chest. The small click was a relief. His slobbery lick made her giggle, but when she checked the trace he left behind, it was a well-thought-out communication and not the disjointed thoughts of an animal.

  “Thank you. I think I look good in these robes, too. They are a bit of a change from trousers though. I miss being able to climb fences at a moment’s notice. Not that there is a need for it, I just miss being me.”

  He whined and put his paw on her thigh.

  Able to casually touch him in this form, she pressed her forehead against his shoulder and sighed, letting the feel of the fur relax her. She hadn’t thought about how much she was bracing for contact over the last few weeks or how tense it was making her.

  She leaned into him and let her body go limp until Equilar called out. “Get in your seats. We are coming in for a landing.”

  Getting to her feet and brushing off the silvery dog hair, she smiled at Baengar. “I think I will call you Garry in this form.”

  He growled at that but followed her to the seats, tucking himself next to her securely with his head in her lap.

  His thoughts were completely his, but with his body in this friendly and non-threatening form, she let herself enjoy the casual contact. What harm could possibly come of stroking his fur?

  Chapter Eight

  The Dhemon who greeted them was cheerful. It confused Ali as all she had ever learned about the species indicated a propensity toward dour behaviour. Turnari was no exception.

  “Good day, Equilar. Who is your companion?”

  “Might, this is Aliiva and her…pet.”

  Ali smiled and extended her hand to the Dhemon. As Might leaned down to kiss the back of her hand, Baengar growled. “Quiet, Garry. Do excuse him, Might. Equilar has been telling me all about your facility. I would love a tour.”

  Might winked. “Echo is waiting to take you on the tour. I will have tea with Equilar and catch up on things.”

  They walked together toward the base and made the pretence of polite chit chat. Garry stayed pressed tightly to her side and when they entered the base and passed the first person in the halls, she understood why.

  A woman getting bumped by a huge dog was a forgivable collision. She quickly brushed off her hip and apologized, but read the trace and determined the person’s motivation for being at the base.

  Divorced, unemployed, sexually excited by being near talents. Everyone had a different reason for seeking a position on Teklan.

  When she met Echo in Time, the woman smiled brilliantly and blinked rapidly as Ali made contact with her palm.

  “Oh. So nice to meet you, Aliiva.”

  “Call me Ali.”

  “Then you can call me Echo until we get to know each other better. Who is this fluffy beasty?” The green woman smiled at the canine in front of her.

  “Garry. He is all fluff and drool. Just the kind of thing a girl wants to snuggle up with on a cold night.” Ali chuckled at Baengar’s narrow eyed glare.

  As they began their tour and Echo noted Garry’s nudging Ali into contact with strangers, she commented, “He seems a little unsteady on his feet.”

  Ali nodded sagely. “It’s old age.”

  He growled and squished her against the wall.

  Echo chortled in amusement. “You two work well together.”

  Ali sighed. “Just this once. We don’t really have complementary characteristics. He likes to chase his tail, I like to do crop estimates… It would never work out.”

  They worked their way through the base, finally stopping for lunch. Ali asked her new friend. “How many do you think we missed?”

  “I don’t know. Let’s get some food and we can start over.”

  Knowing a good idea when she heard one, Ali got Garry to sit and went to get him some food before serving herself.

  One of the counter staff smiled and looked past her to the animal. “Do you need some raw meat?”

  She chuckled and debated it, but he would probably just lick her face with blood. “No, a huge bowl with st
ew would be great though.”

  Ali waited with good cheer and as she took the bowl from the server, she smiled. “Thank you so much. He gets cranky when he is hungry.”

  “I understand. I used to have pets on Mechara.”

  When she returned to the table, she put the bowl on the table out of reflex. Garry adapted quickly and jumped to one of the chairs, eating with abandon.

  Ali returned for her own meal and collected as many of the cute tidbits as she could. Pastries had always been her weakness and the Teklan commissary had a full complement of them.

  She returned to the table, helped Garry with his bowl and the slobber issue and then tucked into her own meal, absently rubbing her fingers together to read the kitchen server.

  Hate, explosives and resentment over lost colonization rights on Mechara were all the information Ali needed.

  She plastered her fake smile on her face and rubbed her head next to Garry’s ear. Her whisper was for him alone. “The central server who helped me with your food. Tishna Fargo. She is the link that they exploited to plant the bombs.”

  He barked happily, shook his head and tore out of the commissary without a backward glance.

  Pretending to be a concerned pet owner, she called out, “Garry! Get back here.”

  Echo pulled her back to her meal. “He can’t go anywhere. Don’t worry about it.”

  Ali sighed and returned to her food. “I can’t believe that he took off like that.”

  Echo grinned. “Don’t worry. He will return. I can see it. Good call by the way. I could never see this particular moment.”

  Ali twirled a piece of vegetable on her fork before slipping into chit chat. “So, how did you meet Might?”

  She laughed. “We were in prison together. It’s a long story for another time.”

  Ali shrugged. “I have no idea if I will ever be back here. You might want to just tell me.”

  “There will be time. I have foreseen it. Well, I have seen the ripple of this moment. It’s a pretty good moment.”

  Ali laughed and worked on her lunch. “Any idea what Equilar and Might are up to?”

  “Politics and personnel trades if I don’t miss my guess. How did you enjoy your previous assignment?”

  “If I never have to do something like that again, I will be quite happy. Etiquette is a harsh mistress.”

  Echo kept her there for close to an hour. Every time she tried to leave the table, Echo asked her another question about life at the Citadel.

  “Do you have many friends there?”

  “Just one, really. Kalo. He was in charge of getting me to my training sessions. I am pretty sure that he volunteered for it.”

  “Why is he there?”

  “I think he has an empathy talent. He is taking counselling courses.”

  “You don’t know what his talent is?”

  Ali smiled. “It is considered impolite to ask. The same way you never ask sexual preference. It really isn’t your business until it affects you directly.”

  Echo snickered. “You are correct. I was fairly sure that a male as pretty as Might would not be interested in a green-haired thing like me, but I was really wrong on that one.”

  “I thought you can see the future.”

  “I can. I just don’t always believe it.” She chuckled.

  Laughing, Ali drank another cup of tea and had another cookie. She froze in her chair the moment that a very bipedal Baengar came through the door, vaulted over the buffet and arrested Tishna.

  The woman screamed and she grabbed at her necklace. Ali didn’t know what she was doing until a thunderous explosion was heard.

  Baengar carried Tishna bodily out the door. Ali heard him say, “We found the bombs. Finder only needed to know what she was looking for. You just blew a hole in the dirt.”

  The bomber screamed and Echo sighed. “I am sorry that I had to keep you here, but Baengar was sniffing and Finder was finding. We couldn’t make Tishna nervous until everything was found and removed from occupied areas.”

  “So, we were the distraction?”

  “Yes. As long as she could see us, she wouldn’t think anything of a visitor coming to Teklan. If you had met her and then left immediately, she may have detonated the bombs prematurely.”

  Ali understood that logic even if she felt a little used. “Well, if that is everything, I suppose I will return to Morganti now.”

  Echo got to her feet. “About that. You will want to talk with Might and Equilar, not to mention Baengar.”

  Curious beyond measure, Aliiva followed Echo out of the commissary and down to the administrative offices.

  A Drai and his mate were sitting in the boardroom across from Equilar and Might. When Aliiva walked in, all eyes turned to her.

  Echo stepped in for introductions. “Aliiva, this is Esur and Roxy, or Frost and Finder if you prefer. They have allowed you settlement rights on Teklan.”

  To say that she was shocked was an understatement. “I don’t really understand.”

  Baengar came up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist. “I have requested that we be allowed to be posted on Teklan base, as Citadel representatives. This will allow us to have a private life as well as using our talents for the betterment of the Alliance.”

  She shivered. “Us?”

  “At the Citadel, we are separated by our talents. Here, with the Sector Guard, we will be able to have a private life first and assignments second. Guards are usually dispatched in pairs. Also, I have Might’s assurance that he will not send one of us on assignment without the other. It will be both of us or neither. Never just one.”

  It solved all the problems that had caused her to keep her physical distance and looking into his icy blue eyes, she knew that he knew it.

  She turned and crossed her arms over her breasts. “That is the most ass backwards proposal I have ever heard of.”

  Roxy chuckled. “At least he doesn’t sneak up on you in your sleep.”

  Glaring at the man who haunted her dreams in the most delicious of ways, she could only say, “I wish that that were true.”

  Chapter Nine

  Baengar had asked for a moment to speak with Aliiva and the two men had nodded immediately.

  Walking outside the structure of the base, Aliiva was still trying to figure out if she was enraged or enthusiastic. “How long were you planning this?”

  He shrugged. The tight fit of the bodysuit he was wearing didn’t hide any of the muscles that she was so familiar with. “I knew the first time I met you that you were not meant for espionage, but Equilar was seeking a companion for her assignments and so my wishes didn’t make an impact until your reaction after the funeral.”

  “So, this has been rattling around that head of yours for a while?” There was autumn in the air of Teklan and the crisp leaves that crushed under her feet confirmed her guess.

  “It has. I know that Equilar gave you instruction on the Oefric courtship customs. You know that we spend our lives looking for our true match.”

  She bit her lip. “I believe that it was mentioned.”

  “You are my match. Even Turnari knows it. He is sensitive to scent and the dramatic increase in your hormone levels after our sessions confirmed my guess for him.”

  She wrapped her arms around herself, the robes fluttering around her. “How would this work, exactly?”

  His tone was cautious, but since she refused to look him in the eye, she was guessing that his expression was apprehensive.

  “Esur has offered us space to build a home. The Oefric council has offered materials and supplies to start off, as well as a personal shuttle so that you can visit your home at least once per year.”

  “Wow. That is quite the start. What would we have to do to earn our keep?”

  He nodded, “Minimum four assignments per year, financial bonuses for anything over and above that. I have quite a hefty account for services I have already rendered the Citadel. We will be off to a good start.”

  She t
ried to be casual. “What about if I am pregnant?”

  “The Oefric council will pay for all expenses when and if you are breeding. Child care will be provided by the Sector Guard when or if you have a child.”

  She turned and poked him in the chest with two fingers. “You had time to work all of that out and you didn’t have time to ask me?”

  His cheekbones were stained with a blush. “I wanted to make sure that everything was prepared in case you said yes.”

  She tapped one foot and re-crossed her arms. “What about asking me?”

  He knelt in front of her and placed his hands on her hips, the heat of his hands warming her skin. “Aliiva Egrar of Caneer, woman of my heart and master of the touch that sends me to my knees. Will you be mine?”

  She tried to keep her scowl in place but the tear that spilled over her lashes belied it. “I… Are you sure about this?”

  He grinned at her. “I am sure. All of my kind knows when they meet their one true mate. Male, female, combinations thereof. We know the moment that we see them. Something clicks at that moment and all we can think of is the one who is ours.”

  “Will it bother you that I can read your thoughts, your moods and intentions?”

  “Will it bother you that I can’t? Many women wish for a mind reader, but I am not equipped to manage that.”

  She chuckled. “I will settle for your shifting into a four footed form so that I can have all the cuddling with an animal that I have missed with none of the chores or taking you for a walk.”

  He raised his brows. “Is that a yes?”

  She gave in. “It is a yes. But…”

  He lunged up and she was caught in a kiss that sent her blood pumping while her mind shrieked in delight. Baengar held her tight to him as their mouths met.

  Aliiva hadn’t been this close to someone in years and when her hands touched his skin, his thoughts streamed into her consciousness in a wave. Tears ran from her eyes as she was overwhelmed by everything that made up her soon-to-be husband.

  He pulled back and rubbed his thumb across her cheeks. “What is it, Ali?”

  “A little too much too soon, Baen. I haven’t been this close with anyone in a very long time.” Her smile was weak, but it was genuine.