“Brendan and I are ready to assist, sir,” Kira said.
The corner of Serath’s mouth twitched up for a brief moment. “I’m glad to hear it. You have quite a bit of work ahead of you. In light of Sorca and Eric’s revelations, we will need to leave a larger contingent on Earth. The problem is more widespread than we originally estimated.”
“Thank you, sir,” Kira said.
Serath turned to Sorca, his glare back in full force. “Who will remain?”
“Vay, Ari, and Rin, for a start,” Sorca said. “And Khel.”
She didn’t want to separate Khel and Paige. But if he and Sorca both remained on Earth, that would mean that Serath would lose both of his top officers in one reassignment.
“Khel and Paige are coming with the Arbiter,” Serath said. “They’ve logged their pair-bond to enable her to join us and assist with our petition to the High Council for official recognition of Earth’s first contact committee.”
“Um, Department of Homeworld Security,” Brendan said.
Serath let out a sigh, but went on. “I’ll need a list of names. At least a dozen.”
“A dozen?” Sorca couldn’t hide her surprise. Serath was allocating an unusual amount of resources to Earth.
“I considered it a cultural exchange as well as a military assignment. Paige has expressed interest in helping planets who over-allocated their resources when they joined the Coalition,” Serath said. “If she can help to increase their autonomy, it will decrease their burden on the Coalition.”
“Are you sure the High Council actually wants that?” Eric said. “They seem pretty keen on keeping everyone under their control.”
“We can only present our case,” Serath said. “Much will be determined by their…reaction.”
Sorca had a feeling he wasn’t only thinking of the High Council giving new orders. If they ruled against Earth, how far was Serath willing to go to protect his bondmate’s homeworld?
“Being pair-bonded to Sorca…” Eric said. “Does that mean I can join you as well when you present your petition to the High Council?”
Serath nodded. “It can be arranged.”
Eric turned to Sorca, grasping her hand under the table and squeezing it. “We can be there and see their reaction ourselves. I want to meet the people who hold the fate of my world in their hands. Are you okay with that?”
“Yes.”
“Sorca, think about this for a minute. What do you really want?”
She had never in her many lives been asked that question before Eric. The answer was as clear as the feelings growing in her heart for this amazing Earthling.
“It’s what I want, too. I want to help your planet, and to fight for it by your side. And…I want to help my own people. They need to understand that they don’t have to keep living this way.”
She turned back to Serath and smiled. “Our attempts to change our culture will very likely get all of us killed. But we’ll die in good company.”
“And on that cheery note…” Brendan said.
“We’re going to make it.” Evelyn spoke calmly—her voice quiet, but stronger than Sorca had ever heard it. “The fate of our homeworld and the entire the galaxy is at stake. We’ll succeed. We have to.”
“Then we have our orders, from Serath’s bondmate herself.” Sorca lifted her arms over her head, dragging Eric’s up with hers. “Victory!”
“What the hell.” Eric shook his head, then yelled, “Victory!”
She grinned broadly.
This was going to be fun.
A Note for the Reader
What did you think? I’d love to hear from you through a review. If you’d prefer another way to connect, you can stop by my blog (cassandra-chandler.com), follow me on Twitter (@CassChandler) or Facebook (CassChandlerAuthor), or even send me some email at [email protected]. You can also stay in touch by subscribing to my newsletter (cassandra-chandler.com/newsletter). There are many more adventures to come.
Thanks for reading!
About the Author
Cassandra Chandler has studied folklore and mythology for her entire life and been accused of taking fairy tales a bit too seriously. She sees the starry sky as a destination rather than a matte painting, though her primary residence is on Earth. Her romances range from sweet to scorching, set in extraordinary worlds and driven by characters searching for a deep and lasting love.
Look for More Titles by Cassandra Chandler
The Blades of Janus
PACK
The Department of Homeworld Security (novellas)
Gray Card
Resident Alien
Business or Pleasure
Tied up in Customs
The Summer Park Psychics
WANDERING SOUL
WHISPERING HEARTS
LINGERING TOUCH
Other Works
“Second Sight” (short story)
“Second Skin” (short story)
CRAFTING A WRITER’S LIFE: Building a Foundation
Coming Soon
The Department of Homeworld Security (novellas)
Entry Visa
Tied up in Customs (The Department of Homeworld Security Book 4) Page 10
