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But she wasn’t. She had known Bakac most of her life. She trusted him the same way she trusted Alex. If the two of them wanted to take her down the road to dark, carnal pleasures, she’d follow them willingly. Never looking back.

“Be careful what you wish for, little warrior,” Bakac’s voice whispered inside her head. “Our passions are darker than an innocent such as you could ever imagine.”

No sooner had Bakac stopped speaking than Alex bit her neck, sharply, before laving the small hurt with his tongue. Doriena cried out before she could stop herself…

?* * *

Doriena awoke to find both men staring at her from opposite sides of the room with identical looks of lust in their eyes. Unfortunately, her mother and father were there also.

“Doriena!” Her mother was at her side in an instant, checking her pulse, pushing her back into the bed when she tried to rise. “Are you all right? You screamed in your sleep.”

“I -- I’m fine, Mother,” she managed to stammer. She felt guilty as hell, like she’d been caught doing something naughty. Which she had, except no one knew.

She managed to convince herself of that until she looked at Alex and Bakac again. They knewexactlywhat she had been dreaming. She was sure of it.

And she knew what that meant, too.

Worse, they were right. She wasn’t ready for this. “Mom.” She reached for her mother, who enfolded her in her arms and held her tightly.

“I’m so glad you’re okay. Thank God Bakac was with you.”

“It would have been okay if he hadn’t been.” She pulled away from her mother then, feeling defensive now. “My status chip would have alerted Medical of my need for assistance.”

“It shouldn’t have happened at all.” Bakac stared at her a moment before turning to Kahn. “Your daughter pulled an apprentice warrior from the wall. Her injuries occurred because he fell on top of her.”

Her father looked at her sharply, his eyes piercing. He was in “General” mode now. Over the course of her life, she had seen this switch many times, though she had never been the cause of such a look before. “You pulled another warrior from the wall during a battle?”

Honesty was always the best approach with her father. He always gave an opportunity for one to explain one’s actions, so she kept her answer short and focused.

“Yes. I did.”

“And you had a reason for doing this, yes?”

“I did.”

“Then explain yourself, apprentice.”

“Kahn.” Her mother placed a hand on Kahn’s shoulder, but he brushed her off, not looking at her. Her mother seemed miffed, but didn’t press whatever issue she had.

“He was pulling the slower warriors from the wall to better his own time. Apparently, with the threat of real weapons fire removed from the battle, several warriors are using the advantage to set record completions. I shouldn’t have let my anger cloud my judgment, but this particular warrior has put others in danger more than once.”

Kahn looked to Bakac. “Is this true?”

“Yes, sir.” Bakac didn’t hesitate in the slightest. “It was well known, sir.”

“Then why was this not stopped by someone other than an apprentice warrior?” Kahn’s words exploded throughout the room. Doriena had never seen her father actually angry. Gothe’marans were experts at hiding any emotion, especially during battle. Her father might show love and affection as a father and husband, but as a member of Military Command, he never showed emotion.

Until today.

“I will deal with this at the Academy.” He looked directly at Bakac. “Then I will hear why you didn’t tell me about this personally.”

“Father.” Alex spoke for the first time. His voice sounded husky, like he desperately needed a drink of water. He cleared his throat. “Bakac had another duty that interfered with everything else. I have no doubt that, if he’d had the time, he would have told you what was going on.”

Kahn’s eyes narrowed as he turned to Alex. “And that duty?”

“He was shadowing Doriena night and day. The only time he had a break was when she was at home, which ended when she left to stay at the Academy. Thanks to me, he’s had no time for anything other than keeping an eye on Doriena.”

Alex looked as if he was preparing to say more, but one look from Kahn and his mouth snapped shut. Her brother wasn’t one to back down from anyone, but he had too much respect for their father to argue with him in front of others.

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