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“We’re supposed to be tracking endangered animals, not cats.” Blaze checked the mobile scanner in his hand.

“There’s still no sign of them?” Daisy’s voice was full of concern as she came over the comm link.

“Dapak is a big place,” Blaze said.

“Don’t worry. We’ll find your cats.” Eden’s deep, sultry voice came over the link. “Blaze just wants to get home so he can have an early night.”

“Are you on a promise?” Rexx said.

Blaze glanced at Eden, who was sashaying in front of him, another scanner in her hand. Her luscious hip sways always twisted his insides. “The chance would be a fine thing.”

“Blaze is too good to be naughty like that.” Eden flashed her dark eyes at him.

“You two should be looking for your own cats.” Blaze’s tone was sharper than he’d meant, but Eden had a way of wrangling him.

“We would if we hadn’t been ordered to stay on lab duty for another week,” Daisy said. “I pleaded with Cleo, but she was having none of it. We’ve still got work to do before we get out of her bad books.”

“The next time you want to go off for a dirty weekend with your guy, you could just put in for permission,” Eden said.

Daisy’s laugh was warm and open. “I’ll remember that the next time.”

Blaze was happy that Daisy and Rexx had found each other. Although Rexx rarely spoke about it, he’d been lost to Daisy the moment he’d set eyes on her. And why not? Daisy was adorable. She made friends with everyone, shared her last cookie with you, and was the most trusting person he’d ever met. And she was cute to look at.

His gaze flicked back to Eden. If only things could be as simple between them.

“I hear you two are getting couples quarters,” Eden said. “It’s about time. All us single girls have lost sleep listening to you two go at it for hours.”

Daisy snort laughed. “That’s not true.”

“I had to get myself new earplugs,” Eden said. “You’re one lucky girl.”

Rexx growled. “Focus on the mission.”

“I am.” Eden chuckled as she looked at the scanner. “There’s still nothing showing.”

Blaze looked around the landscape. There were aliens living on Dapak, but it wasn’t an advanced civilization. The cats may have looked like a tasty meal to someone. This could be a big waste of time. “We’ll go for another hour, then head back to the Apocalypse.”

“You’ll stay until you find them,” Rexx said.

Blaze caught Eden’s eye, and she raised her eyebrows. They knew Rexx had a temper, but its edges had smoothed since Daisy came into his life and his bed.

Eden shrugged. “It must be tough out here for four little fluff balls. Especially the kittens.”

“They’re out there. And Asshole’s a survivor. He’d have looked out for the kittens,” Rexx said. “Keep looking for the tracker signal. You need to get within a close enough range to detect it.”

“We won’t give up,” Eden said. “We know how much these cats mean to you. And everyone needs a cute little pussy to play with.”

Daisy laughed again. “We need four of them. I should talk to Cleo again. Maybe she’ll let us visit Dapak if you don’t find them. They could be hiding if they don’t recognize you.”

“Asshole will know me. We won’t let you down.” Eden flashed a smile at Blaze. “I’ve got my best guy on the case.”

A shiver of desire ran through him. Eden was fire. She was the opposite of the women his parents put in front of him before he took up his role in the Apexian squad. Those women had been attractive, refined, and intelligent. But they’d lacked something. They had no passion. They’d been groomed to within an inch of their lives and told how to behave. It had left them blank. And it made him feel empty. He’d rejected a dozen of them to join with as a mate. That left his parents frustrated, and him running out of time.

Blaze wanted the fire he saw in Eden. But every time he got close to her, she burned him, and then backed away.

He should take the warnings seriously. His parents had expectations of who he should join with. And Eden met none of them.

“Hey, I got something.” Eden stared at her scanner for a second, then jogged away.