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feel.’’ He sighed. ‘‘She is a good woman, a true ally to us and to our commander, and I believe they love one another very deeply. But . . .’’
    ‘‘Say it, Scott,’’ she urged, closing the distance between them.
    ‘‘But’’—he drew in a somber, heavy breath—‘‘I believe that Jared should have secured the succession. I believe he should have mated with you and produced an heir.’’
    She couldn’t help feeling a smug sense of satisfaction. ‘‘Thank you.’’
    He turned toward her again, his black eyebrows hitching upward. ‘‘But that does not mean I oppose their union now.’’
    She nodded, dropping her gaze to the floor. ‘‘Of course not.’’
    ‘‘It is done. They are joined, and you will stay here, in this compound, and work things out with them.’’
    ‘‘Scott!’’ She’d been so sure he understood her pain.
    ‘‘I won’t back down on this point. You stay here and you smooth out the situation—with Jared and with Kelsey.’’
    ‘‘I don’t know that I can,’’ she admitted, feeling her throat constrict painfully.
    ‘‘Time has a way of healing many things, Lieutenant,’’ he promised her with a faint smile.
    ‘‘And time has healed your own heart?’’ she shot back, knowing all the secret, heavy pain that Scott bore on his shoulders.
    His expression darkened, and for a moment he said nothing, then at last admitted, ‘‘I’m a lost cause; we all know it. You, on the other hand, will find a mate in time.’’
    ‘‘But no one who is like me, Scott. There’s only one other person on this planet who understands what I am—who is like me at all. And now he’s joined to another.’’
    ‘‘You may be surprised what the gods have in store for you yet.’’
    No, she thought, I will die a virgin, without love, without a soulmate. And without my soul’s completion.
    Scott must have read the hopeless expression on her face because after a moment he patted the front of his jacket pocket, his car keys jangling in answer. ‘‘You know what you need, Lieutenant?’’ he asked, his eyes gleaming mischievously. ‘‘Shore leave.’’
    She gave a bitter snort. ‘‘This despicable planet is our shore leave.’’
    ‘‘I mean you need to go off-base. You should come to town with me and let your hair down a little.’’ Thea knew precisely how Lieutenant Dillon let his own hair down: By bedding as many human women as he could possibly take, night after night, week after week, year after year.
    She shook her head. ‘‘That’s your escape, Scott,’’ she said. ‘‘Not mine.’’
    His black eyebrows quirked upward. ‘‘Never know until you try it. These humans are . . . surprisingly enjoyable.’’
    ‘‘Quite obviously.’’ She frowned.
    ‘‘Come out with me, and let’s get your mind off things here. You’ll gain a little perspective,’’ he promised. ‘‘And this situation might not seem quite so hopeless if you do.’’
    Thea stared down at her boots, taking in her military-issue slacks, her decidedly unappealing uniform that was the furthest thing from sexy. She had a few civilian outfits, but nothing stunning, not if she hoped to actually hook up with someone in a human bar. ‘‘I-I don’t know, Scott. It feels really strange to me.’’
    ‘‘Have you ever gone out in town?’’ he pressed. ‘‘Ever done more than a military maneuver or mission off base?’’
    ‘‘Never.’’
    ‘‘My point exactly. Perhaps getting to know these humans might help you understand Jared’s position a bit more.’’
    ‘‘You dislike humans as much as I do,’’ she scoffed. ‘‘You just like to sleep with them.’’
    He flashed a dark grin. ‘‘They’re fabulous in bed, it’s true. And I have little respect for their species, but still’’—he hesitated, his expression growing strangely guarded—‘‘there’s something about them. Something worth understanding, at least. If for no other reason, because we love our