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“I know what you’ll do if I don’t order you to do this. You’ll patch yourself up and start working straightaway,” Cleo said. “Striker will back me up on this. Complete rest for the next two days.”

“If she so much as moves out of her room, I’ll tie her to the bed,” Striker said.

“Promises, promises,” Eden said. “That sounds like my kind of rest.”

“I’ll do the same with you,” Blaze said.

“In your dreams.” Eden pouted at him.

Blaze opened his mouth as if to argue with her then pressed his lips together and shook his head.

“Once you’re rested, I’ll need a debrief on what happened on that ship,” Cleo said.

“The Gente aren’t coming after us anytime soon,” Eden said. “We showed them that Humans aren’t pushovers. Especially not with our trusty Apexian backup looking out for us.” She nudged Blaze in the ribs.

He grunted, but the flicker of a smile traced across his face.

“ELVIS, run a full scan of the Gente ship. There could be useful information stored in there,” Cleo said.

“Already working on it,” ELVIS said. “It’s good to have you all back.”

“It is. Excellent work, everyone,” Cleo said.

“Let’s get out of here.” Striker gently tugged Wren’s hand.

She followed him into the corridor, and they walked in silence for several minutes.

“You’re not still angry at me, are you?” she said.

“I’m trying hard not to be. I know how important this work is to you.”

“Striker, stop.” She turned toward him and placed a hand on his chest. “It is. My work has always been my top priority. I’ve always wanted to do my best. Sometimes, I’ve been too strict on myself.”

“I know things have gone wrong for you in the past when you haven’t followed the rules, but this is different. You risked your life this time.”

She ducked her head for a second but then lifted it and met his gaze. “I know.”

“You’re incredible at what you do, but everyone has their limits.”

“Not when it comes to protecting the things I love. The people I love.”

He caught her chin in his hand. “Yes, even then. If you could have saved your family, you would have done so. You’d have given your life to keep them alive. You tried everything you could.”

She sighed and leaned against him, wanting nothing more than to close her eyes and forget what just happened. “I thought I could help. I should never have promised my family I’d fix things. I never wanted them to think I failed them.”

“Only you thought that.” He kissed the top of her head, the gentle touch making her heart melt.

“I have you in my life now. I want to make sure you never get hurt.”

“I can look after myself. It’s why I’m here. Protector of the stars, defender of the weak Humans, master of the... ouch!”

Wren whacked him in the chest. “You’re always the joker.”

His smile faded. “Not about this. Not about us. You have me for however long you want me. I’ve screwed up in the past. I know you think I’m a joke and don’t take this work seriously, but—”

She pressed a finger to his lips. “You’re not a joke. You came through for me when it mattered. You stood by me even though I took a risk.”

The trail of his fingers down her arm heated her insides. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.