Page 57 of Alien Knight Blind Date Disaster

When it was over, she did cry. She told him everything. He held her. He listened. And that was absolutely perfect.

Epilogue

One Week Later…

Sweat. Dirt. Grass. Matthew smelled like a young man who needed a shower, but she held him tighter. Squeezed. Hard. He was still too thin, but he was getting better. Healing. Smiling.

“Hey! Trying to breathe here,” he said, his words muffled.

“You don’t need to breathe. You need hugs,” she countered, laughing.

“Come on, Isa, they’re all going to tease me if you don’t let go.”

“They’re all jealous, that’s all.” Isabella squeezed once more, tight, just for good measure, before stepping back. However, she couldn’t resist reaching down to muss his hair. “How are you? Nightmares last night?”

Matthew shrugged. “Not too bad. I don’t remember much.”

It was true. They’d drugged the boy to within an inch of his life. She wasn’t sure whether to be angry or grateful for that fact.

The image of the Dark One ripping off pieces of that human leg with his teeth flashed into her mind, and she shuddered but tried to hide her discomfort from the boy. He was adjusting to his new life. The human thugs who’d taken him had killed Matthew’s father, so Dagan had pulled some strings and made the boy a citizen of Caldor so he could live on base, go to school, be surrounded by people who cared. He already followed Juliette around like a lost puppy. And Sasha—God, she was the most amazing woman Isabella had ever met. Kind. Fierce. Like a protective mother with an angel’s face and a predator’s bite.

“How’s my Bella?” The deep voice soothed her even before Falden’s arms wrapped around her waist from behind.

Matthew rolled his eyes. “Really? You two need to get a room.”

Falden laughed. Helaughed,and every Lumerian in the training yard turned at the sound. He nuzzled her neck with the tip of his nose. “We already have a room, Matthew. Several, in fact.”

Which was true. Their personal quarters had been upgraded now that Falden had a mate. And Falden had introduced her to every room by lowering her to the ground or pushing her up against the wall or bending her over the sofa or…

The shower. God, the shower.

Behind her, Falden groaned and the soft nuzzles at her neck turned to kisses. Nibbles. His cock grew hard at her back, and she knew, without doubt, her face was turning red. Beet red.

Matthew groaned in mock disgust, but his eyes were dancing and his smile lit up his entire face. “I’m getting food. Later, Isa.”

“Not for at least two hours,” Falden called after the boy.

“Gross, Falden! TMI, man. TMI.”

Laughing, she turned in Falden’s arms and kissed him. Hard. Deep.

Perfect.

When she pulled back to stare up into his blue eyes, she more than saw the love shining there. She couldfeelit. Every cell of her body purred with his adoration, the alien bond between them so strong she still had trouble coping with the raw energy of his emotions.

Grateful. She was absolutely, one hundred percent grateful. For all of it, but mostly for the man holding her, chasing her demons away, sharing her heart and her soul.

Which was why when his grin faded, she felt his worry and hurried to ease it. “I’m fine. The interrogation this morning was a piece of cake. I’ve been practicing, and I can use my power whenever I need it now. My head doesn’t hurt at all, and that creep gave us a lead on Sevron.”

“I know. I’m so proud of you, of what you can do. Dagan is practically dancing around his desk at the prospect of having you in his back pocket.” He kissed her on the lips, a gentle, soft kiss that was all about love and nothing else.

“Then what’s wrong?” It was true; she was the ace up Dagan’s sleeve. Actually, she preferred to think of herself as Falden’s partner because he caught the bad guys and she made them talk. Which was an all-around win in her book. Dagan’s too. They’d been tracking down all the Darkoor allies in the city with record speed. Not one they caught had been able to resist the lure of Isabella’s voice.

“It’s Taeger. He sent a distress call from Mora 5. Said they were under attack. His whole team has gone dark.”

“Is he one of yours? A Lumerian?”

Falden nodded, settled his forehead against hers, shared his burdens with someone else for the first time since he’d been a boy at his mother’s knee. What little he could recall involved a cool, disciplined woman, one who knew he would need to be strong, a mother who tolerated no weakness. “One of the oldest. One of the best. I didn’t know he was still alive until the attacks. Taeger and his team followed Torrin here several weeks ago, but he had to return. He left someone important behind.”

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