“I know.” Jamie sighed. “But I was careful. I researched everything first. I documented every interaction, every reaction. I never took more than they could regenerate within days.”
Dungar’s expression had shifted from stern to thoughtful. Jamie’s methods were unethical, but her passion and attention to detail were undeniable.
“Jamie,” her father said, his voice thick with emotion. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You were busy with work.” She couldn’t quite meet his eyes. “And I needed to do this myself.”
“Honey, if science means this much to you, we could’ve found a legitimate way to pursue it.” His hand reached for hers. “I would’ve helped you.”
“You don’t get it.” Her face darkened, her eyes flashing. “This isn’t only about science. It’s about finding something that matters, something that sees me.”
Her father flinched.
After a lengthy discussion about legal consequences,Dungar cleared his throat. “I’d like to propose an alternative to formal charges.”
All eyes turned to him.
“Jamie has shown exceptional observational skills and a genuine interest in luminook biology.” He arranged his pens in a precise line before continuing. “Ruugar could use an assistant during school breaks, someone to help document the luminooks’ adaptation to surface conditions.”
Hope flashed across Jamie’s face. “Really?”
“Supervised, of course,” Dungar clarified. “With proper protocols and permissions.”
“Community service with the luminooks,” I said, catching on to his thinking. “Contributing to legitimate research while making amends for the trespassing and tampering.”
Peter looked at his daughter. “Would you want that?”
“More than anything,” she breathed.
“Then we accept,” Peter said, relief evident in his voice. “And Jamie, we’re going to talk about more than just your punishment when we get back to the hotel.”
She nodded, and for the first time all night, her shoulders relaxed.
After arranging details for her community service and ensuring Peter understood the seriousness of what had happened, we watched them leave. Jamie paused at the door, looking back at us.
“Thank you for giving me a second chance,” she said.
The words struck me like an arrow to the heart.
Later that night,Dungar and I stood on his back porch, mugs of tea sitting on the railing in front of us. Treelee grazed peacefully in the paddock beside the barn, her big form silhouetted against the starlit sky.
“You were brilliant with Jamie,” Dungar said. “You understood what she needed immediately.”
I smiled, leaning against his solid warmth. “I recognized something in her. That feeling of being adrift, searching for a place where you matter.”
“Is that how you felt when you arrived here?” His arm curved around my shoulders, pulling me closer.
I traced the golden mark on my wrist, still marveling that I’d mate-bonded with Dungar. “I was running from danger, but I was also running toward something without knowing what it was.”
“And did you find it?” His question came soft, vulnerable in a way that made my heart squeeze.
I turned to face him, taking in his beautiful features in the silvery moonlight. His dark eyes watched me with such tenderness that it stole my breath.
“I found you,” I said. “I found a home I never knew I was looking for.”
He cupped my cheek with his warm hand. “When you first walked into my office, everything in my world shifted. All my careful systems and order suddenly had a purpose beyond themselves.”
“Because I complicated everything?” I teased.
