Page 50 of The Alien's Private Redemption

"Did you not know that?" he asked with a small laugh. "I guarantee it wasn't anything she hadn't heard before. There isn't much that can be hidden in a Chelion enclave."

"Still," she protested. "It feels rude."

"Why?"

"We're being loud and obvious about something that she can't have for herself."

Zoric considered it. He'd always been happy for his men who had found their Mate, even if he couldn't have his. Despite the accusations that had been lobbed at him and his people, there had been plenty of women who enjoyed their Chelion mates. Maybe not with the enthusiasm Angela had demonstrated but they weren't unhappy.

"There's nothing stopping her from finding her own Mate," he protested.

"But she doesn't have one now," Angela argued. "And that's enough to make someone jealous, at least, and we're not helping the situation by rubbing her nose in it."

"Maybe, since we didn't discover any other triggers last night, she can get her own accommodations," Zoric suggested.

"I'd be surprised if she doesn't ask for them," Angela said. "Now, do I have any clothes here? I seem to recall you shredding what I was wearing last night."

"Oh," Zoric said, grinning at the memory. "Sorry?"

Angela snorted and he thought of how adorable the sound was before he pulled on his kilt and the shirt missing most of its buttons and stepped out into the house.

Ae-cha was sitting at the breakfast bar and she pointed to a stack of clothes on one of the clean chairs. They'd manage to spill dinner and other things on half of the chairs in the dining room and Zoric had the vague feeling that he should apologize for that.

"Someone brought her by PT clothes while you were having breakfast," Ae-cha said, refusing to look up at him. "But nothing for you. Sorry."

"Ae-cha," Zoric started, picking up the small stack of clothes. "Thank you. And I'm sorry."

She took a deep breath and continued to focus on the tablet she held in front of her. "You're welcome and apology accepted. I'm sorry, too."

"Already forgiven," he said.

He wasn't certain what she was apologizing for but he knew they both had a lot to talk about. For now, it was enough that they seemed to have gotten past the worst of their anger at each other. Getting their people to move beyond their differences would take time but it felt like they might have it. If they could work together now.

Angela took the stack of clothes and kissed him on the cheek. Affection and another emotion he refused to name traveled down their Bond and he knew she'd heard him apologize to Ae-cha. He didn't know why it was so important to her that he did it but he was glad he had, if just for her.

They'd been sent an escort to take them to that morning's meeting and Zoric was surprised to see the Orvax delegation and the human contractors from the plane, but no Dr. Phillips or Dr. Torres.

"Now that everybody is here, we can get started," Colonel Schuh said, taking his seat. The leather chair creaked beneath him as he moved and everybody else started looking for their own.

Two chairs had been altered to make it easier for Zoric and Ae-cha to sit and Zoric gave the Colonel a nod of appreciation for the accommodations.

Colonel Schuh gestured to the Orvax in the room and Zoric was pretty sure he'd met at least one of them before but he couldn't remember their names.

"In our pursuit for answers and a cure for one of the Orvax mates, we've been researching various rumors," the first one started. He didn't introduce himself and Zoric got the feeling that he was being deliberately vague about what they'd been pursuing.

"When we were contacted by Colonel Schuh to track a strange signal, our research had already brought our attention to certainactors in the area. To get a better view of what was going on, we contacted some help that came highly recommended."

With that, he gestured to the human contractors who nodded.

"And what do you do?" Colonel Schuh asked, though Zoric got the feeling it was for his benefit more than the Colonel's.

"Tech Support," one said, at the same time the other said, "I.T."

Zoric raised his eyebrow skeptically but didn't say anything.

"They've managed to isolate the signal and get a good view of where it's been and where it's going. What we've been able to find from this information is that whoever was following you wasn't using a vehicle to tunnel."

"But we saw the sand moving," Angela protested.

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