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“We got lucky.” Dallin shuffled along with Sloane clamped to his side. There was no way he was letting her go.

“Luck be damned. You’re a superstar.” Striker clapped him on the back. “And I heard you blew up a fricking mine while you were inside it.”

Sloane hummed out an angry note. “That wouldn’t have happened if he’d taken his partner with him, instead of sloping off and trying to be the hero.”

Hunter laughed. “If you hook your ship to an Apexian, expect a little hero action, even from the aliens who prefer the lab to the battlefield.” He smacked a hand on Dallin’s shoulder. “It’s great to have you both home.”

“It’s good to be back.” Dallin was happy to be around his friends.

“Has this given you a taste for adventure?” Rexx said.

“Hell, no! It’s too risky for Sloane,” Dallin said.

She kissed his cheek. “You let me figure out what’s dangerous. You have a skewed view of the world.”

“A skewed view?”

Sloane grinned at him, and he was happy to see her color had already improved. “Yes! Too much lab time and not enough real world exposure makes you ultra-cautious of everything.”

“We’ll talk about it. Missions are still dangerous.”

“That sounds like a no,” Striker said.

Wren nudged him. “You’ll figure things out. We did.”

“We’ll figure it out together,” Cleo said. “There won’t be any missions for a while, not until everyone is healthy again.”

“But first, rest, and lots of it,” Angel said. “And I want to look at that leg of yours, Dallin. Your healing ability has been affected by the Siblet poison, so we’ll need to treat you like a regular patient until things settle back to normal.”

“Can’t wait,” he grumbled.

“I’m an excellent doctor. I might even be better than your natural healing ability.” Angel’s gaze ran over Sloane. “Are there any injuries I need to know about?”

“Nope, I’m doing fine now I have my antidote.”

Cleo slowed as they reached her office, and her gaze cut to Brutus. “This furry chap needs to go into quarantine. We don’t know if he’s healthy.”

Brutus bared his teeth at Cleo and leaned closer to Sloane.

“Good luck with that.” Dallin nodded at the grimlin. “He’s grown attached to Sloane. He rarely leaves her side.”

“He’s domesticated,” Sloane said. “And he’s been chipped. A quick scan will show if Brutus has had his injections. And Angel can check to see if he’s healthy. Please, don’t put him in a cage away from everyone. He’ll hate it.” She kissed the grimlin’s head.

Cleo sighed. “Get him scanned and make sure he’s safe. Having a grimlin roaming around the ship will take some getting used to.”

Brutus sniffed the back of Cleo’s hand, then gave it a lick.

“He likes you,” Sloane said.

“He’s just trying to charm me.” Cleo nodded at them. “Get treatment and rest.”

“Let’s get you settled, then I’ll see to the furball,” Angel said.

Half an hour later, Dallin felt halfway normal. His leg still ached, but the drugs Angel had given him took the edge off the worst of the pain.

The best medicine was having Sloane in the bed next to him. She’d pushed their two beds close enough so they could touch, and her hand was in his as she rested on the pillow, her eyes closed.

“Sloane Harper, you’re amazing.” He stared at the incredible human who had flipped his life upside down and made him realize how much he’d been missing.