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“Are we at the clinic?”

“We’ve been here for an hour. I didn’t let anybody in. Your arrival has been noticed, and they’re ready for you whenever you wish to leave.”

Talyn scrubbed a hand down his face. “It’s almost over. I’ll soon be free.”

“And you’ll be free of me, your family, and Sinead.”

Talyn sighed. “It’s for the best, especially for Sinead. She’ll be free again, just as she wishes.”

“That’s not what you want,” Booby said.

“Booby, you’re not a mind reader. You have no clue what I desire.”

“You were talking when you were unconscious. You kept saying Sinead’s name. You said it fifty-two times. That suggests to me you still desire her. She’s in your thoughts.”

Talyn’s head dipped. “Of course she’s in my thoughts. She’s my mate.”

“And since she is your mate, doesn’t she deserve the chance to say goodbye? You were the one who signed her to be your life mate. Now, you’re abandoning her because things are difficult. Is that the behavior of a true life mate?”

Talyn pressed his lips together. Maybe he should tell her goodbye. They’d only been joined for a few days, but those days had been incredible. He’d seen an opportunity for an amazing future. With Sinead by his side, he’d felt he could achieve anything. He’d found the person who would keep him stable and make him happier than he’d ever believed possible.

He’d give away all his possessions to go back to the first day they met and do it again. When they made physical contact, something had shifted in his mind and given him a glimpse of the extraordinary, but then it was gone. Sinead was gone. She wasn’t able to give him what he needed.

“She won’t care what happens to me,” Talyn said. “Sinead’s a good person, and she was kind because she felt sorry for me. That’s all it was. She made it clear we’re not to be together. I don’t want her knowing about this and feeling obliged to remain with me. That would be cruel for both of us.”

“I don’t agree,” Booby said. “I like Sinead. I would have welcomed her here. She would have made this place brighter.”

Talyn’s throat tightened, but he shook his head. “No, it’s time to go. I didn’t pay half my life savings to back out now. I need to get this over with.”

After several attempts, Talyn made his way to the docking ramp. Every step was a painful jolt through his body and into his brain. He was glad to see that night had fallen when the ramp lowered.

As he reached the bottom of the ramp, two nurses hurried out of the clinic. They were closely followed by a Lillip doctor.

“Dr. Cross?” Talyn asked as the nurses assisted him to remain standing.

“That’s me.” The doctor studied Talyn in silence for a long moment. “You look like you’ve had quite a ride getting here.”

“I almost didn’t get here. Is everything ready?”

“It will be if you agree to go through with it.” Dr. Cross walked alongside him as the nurses slowly helped Talyn to the clinic door. “We have a few things to go through. This is not a procedure anyone should undertake lightly.”

“I don’t need to discuss this. It needs to happen and quickly.”

“I sense your suffering, but I must follow protocol. This is a permanent procedure. There is no reversal.”

“That’s what I need,” Talyn said. “The sooner, the better.”

The clinic was pristine, the walls a pale cream and a faint, floral scent in the air. Talyn barely noticed his surroundings as the nurses helped him to a comfortable chair in the doctor’s office.

Dr. Cross sat next to Talyn and ran through a range of medical checks as he talked through the expunge in a calm, level voice.

Talyn endured the tests but flinched every time the doctor touched him. His skin felt hyper-sensitive and sore.

“I need to monitor your brainwaves,” Dr. Cross said. “I understand from your ship that you have experienced recent trauma.”

“My mom has lost control of her ability. I went to visit her, and she overwhelmed me.”

“Yes, I have contacted the hospital and have your mother’s details. She’s a strong Lillip. It’s such a shame she’s not able to control herself. She has no one to block her?”