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She nodded, knohich way north was only because the sun was setting behind them

"That’s where the Theronai live My suite is the third one froarage big enough to hold at least a couple of hundred cars He pulled into an eine

"Whatever happens here, it’s important that you know I’m on your side" His voice was sober

"That sounds a little o to be happy that I found you Our n of hope that there are other women out there like you, but not all Some of them will see only what they cannot have It’s important that you don’t wander around alone It’spainful to be a male Theronai with no way to release all that power Not everyone can control their impulses when faced with sothey’d try to hurt me?"

"No They’d try to take you for the that, they would hurt you Stay close to us?"

"Gilda’s husband The only other bonded Theronai here He has eyes only for Gilda, so you’ll be safe with him"

She did not like the sound of any of this "How long do we have to stay here?"

"Long enough to find out what your vision is trying to tell you and to pick up the next lead on Kevin’s sword"

And to hang Thoht echo in her head, laced with a deep, aching grief he couldn’t hide

She no longer cared that she was trying to keep her distance She couldn’t let hih his pain alone

She unbuckled her seat belt and crawled into his lap, heedless of how poorly she fit behind the wheel Drake needed coive it to him

He held her in silence while she petted his chest, giving hiht again, but she could feel hiid and holding her in an alht of letting her go Ever

For one crazyelse in her life She was falling for hi her She kneas strong enough to survive, but she didn’t want hi She wanted him to be happy She wanted his out of life that he was protecting for others Faave her a hard squeeze and she could feel hi his control back around him like a cloak His body relaxed, he sucked in a deep breath, and let it out in a sigh of acceptance "They’re waiting for us We should get ?"

"You’ll see Coround tunnel that led to thehe lived in They went down a hallway that opened into a giant rooht froreen plants sat in clusters here and there, thriving under the bountiful sunshine the roo the day

Most of the roo area with a mishmash of well-used tables and chairs Each table was decorated with a cheerful yellow-and-white-checked tablecloth and a small vase of fresh flowers A few people sat at the tables sipping coffee or reading books, looking as comfortable as they would have been in their own private home The rest of the rooh-tech TVs, each surrounded by an arrange chairs Two groups of kids played video ga the furniture so they could sit closer to the TVs Three wo quiet conversation while they kept watch over the kids

"I thought you said you can’t have kids," she said

"Those are hu here and some kids who have been orphaned by the Synestryn"

"You ht it was a big secret You said Miss Mabel couldn’t even know about you, that it was dangerous for her"

"It is Which is why many of these people are here Not everyone can have their memories effectively erased Their only choice is to live here or take their chances outside"

"No wonder you need such a big place"

Drake’s er one if people weren’t so stubborn Most people choose to take their chances"

"What happens to thery it shocked her "Soh to save the children once the parents are slaughtered, but not nearly often enough"

Helen couldn’t ier and have thenore it To have that happen over and over and be powerless to do anything but clean up the pieces, which in this case were orphaned children

She laced her fingers through his and felt the answering huainst her skin "I’m sorry, Drake You have so much horror in your life I don’t kno you stand it"

He shrugged, but it was too stiff to look casual "It’s why I was created We have a job to do and ing in self-pity isn’t going to get it done Besides, we do save some of them," he said, his eyes warm as he watched the children play, "and that makes the hard parts a lot easier to bear"

A heavy glass door leading to a courtyard swung open, letting in the scent of freshlysunshine Zach entered the roo with sweat He had a tree tattoo like Drake’s on his dark chest and the few rerily on his brown skin He headed straight for Helen with a grireen eyes were fixed on her and bright with rage

She felt Drake tense and he took a protective step in front of her His hand settled on the hilt of his sword, and although she couldn’t see it before, now that he was touching it, she noticed a wavering gleaht

Helen really hoped he wouldn’t need to draw it She remembered all too hat he was capable of with that weapon

"Where is she?" growled Zach in an almost animalistic sound

Helen took an involuntary step backward in the face of his powerful anger Her mind went blank and all she could think to say was "Who?"