"Well, this is awkward," Cleona grunted as she sat at the picnic table in the now deserted park. They all cradled coffee cups at one o clock in the morning, and Galene needed the caffeine to keep her upright. The events of the evening had her feeling drained. Her head pounded, and her wrist ached. She couldn't imagine how Stralath must be feeling. He'd been hit by a car—because of her. She eyes his side for the millionth time as she sank to a seat. "Stop." He stood close but didn't even look her way. "I'm fine. Mesaphineans heal quickly.""You were bleeding—badly.""And now I'm not."When he'd transformed into a massive furry creature, he'd looked fearsome—with terrifying fangs and alien claws—a horror she'd never fathomed. But, when Galene had met his dark, panicked gaze, she'd recognized the honorable man who'd stuck by her side. And she'd clung to him instead of shrinking away. Her reaction had surprised even her, but there was a familiarity—a connectio

Kalder pulled down the roller door, shutting them inside the warehouse. The industrial neighborhood lay quiet before dawn—just how he liked it. He needed to focus on his business, not the pretty fisheri princess who took up most of his thoughts. Galene was a mystery he couldn't solve, and unlike any pod members he'd ever met. She now hung out with a large human who hovered by her side like a feral guard dog. Except there was something more to the large man that Kalder couldn't pin down. He wasn't a fisheri, and he almost didn't seem human. Who was Galene's champion defender? And why did he get on Kalder's last nerve? Setting aside his frustrations, Kalder turned to his vibrio business partner, who sat on a crate, texting on his damn phone. The smooth asshole had screwed up their first orders and now needed to pay. Kalder looked down at his expensive jeans and rubbed a hand on his designer t-shirt. He didn't want to get it soiled with vibrio blood, but he had no choi

Five hours. Gale had been in surgery for five damn hours. What was taking so long? Stralath's foot tapped as he folded his arms and stared at the ceiling. He now sat outside the operating theater and kept glancing at the doors. Galene had seemed tired and impassive before the procedure, and Stralath knew the last few weeks had taken a toll on the feisty mermaid. She'd looked adrift as they'd wheeled her down the passage. Had he made the wrong decision in encouraging the surgery? Did they have a choice?Stralath swiped a hand over his face as heeled footsteps neared, echoing in the empty corridor. "Can I take a seat?" Coco's low voice asked.Stralath dropped his hand and glanced her way. "Yes, boss—this is your facility.""Our NIRL facility and you outrank me." She nudged his arm with her shoulder. She watched the theater doors. "And the first NIRL earth surgical unit to operate on a fisheri." Stralath shifted in his seat. He didn't care about any firsts—he cared about the patient.

"I can do it myself.""Sit your butt down and leave it to me." Miro balanced the heavy canvas, hanging it carefully on the pristine wall. "This painting is fly. I like that word—fly. English is such an expressive language." She wiped her brow as she stepped away, and they both cocked their heads, staring at the mounted artwork. "I mean, fisheri communication skills are way more advanced and sound celestial in comparison, but I dig English.""You 'dig' it. My painting is 'fly?'" Galene snorted. "This is what happens when you watch those nineties shows to learn English?""I was stuck in motel rooms while looking for you. I do like that series, 'Full House.' Ooh—and 'Friends.'"Galene laughed, and Miro's tension eased. She'd barely slept in five days as her sister had slowly recovered. She had to force herself to think of Zalo as "Galene." When her sister finally remembered her past, she'd reclaim her birth name—hopefully. "It's leaning towards the left." Galene pointed at the artwork a

Stralath could sleep in any circumstance—rest was necessary for survival. He'd slept on hard spaceship floors and in disorientating planet storms. Resting on cave ground that resembles shards of glass was his worst overnight experience. Now, he lay in a comfortable bed. The room was at a perfect temperature. The curtained darkness provided quietude, yet Stralath couldn't sleep. He'd lain awake all night, worrying about a woman he should avoid. Finally giving up, he rose before dawn and had a long shower. Still restless, he paced like a caged hyena in front of the window. The hotel sat in an affluent neighborhood, and Stralath decided to get some fresh Hollywood air. Exercise would cure his agitation. As soon as Stralath hit the pavement, he rolled into a sprint. GANJI by PSY blasted through his EarPods, and he fell into an easy rhythm. Thanks to his Mesaphinean blood, he could run for hours and barely break a sweat. The cool morning breeze felt good, and he focused on a blank state.