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Kal glanced back. “Scared of the dark, Lila?”

She lifted her chin, suppressing a shiver that had nothing to do with temperature. “Of course not. But Mom always said never to go off alone with boys.”

Heat rushed to her face. Her mother’s warnings about strange boys seemed absurd now. These weren’t exactly the type she’d meant. Yet standing at the top of those shadowed stairs, Lila felt caught between curiosity and caution.

The stairwell amplified every sound—their measured breathing, boot leather against metal, the distant thrum of environmental systems. The metallic taste in the air intensified as they descended, the temperature dropping with each step.

“Why would your mother say that?” Tor asked.

Her flush deepened. “If you don’t know, I’m not going to tell you.”

Looking at their confused faces made her feel stupid for trying to act all grown-up. They clearly had no idea what she was talking about, and now she just felt awkward. It was like they came from completely different worlds… which, yeah, they actually did.

When she shivered, both boys moved closer without hesitation. They were so tall that standing between them was like being surrounded by living walls. Her heart did a funny little jump. No one at school had ever made her feel this safe, this protected, without even trying.

“Sometimes human boys… they’re not nice,” she said. “Girls get attacked.”

“Attacked? A male would harm a female?” Kal asked, horror etching across his features.

Their visceral distress twisted something in her chest. Both warriors adjusted their stance, automatically moving to shield her.

“We would never—” Tor said, his voice rough. “We never thought we’d even see a female.”

“To talk to one, to be friends,” Kal said. “It’s more than we ever dreamed.”

“Your species doesn’t have any women. Does it?”

They shook their heads. The silence that followed felt heavy with understanding.

She’d been treating them like human boys, but these warriors viewed women as something precious, almost sacred. The realization settled warm in her chest, even as the air grew colder.

“So, if there aren’t any female Izaeans, how does it work? I mean, how do you…” Heat crept up her neck.

“The empire created the mate program,” Kal said, pushing back his dark hair. “They match warriors with compatible human females.”

“But there are so many restrictions,” Tor said, his red eyes gleaming in the dim light. “Warriors have to prove themselves worthy.”

“What did you do before? I mean, before humans?” she said. “Well, we’re like cousin species or something. Aren’t we?”

Kal’s lips curved upward. “Very tiny, delicate little cousin species.”

“Before humans,” Tor said, “Izaean numbers were declining. Many warriors couldn’t handle the isolation, the loss of hope for family.”

Their footsteps echoed as they reached a landing. “That must have been awful,” she said.

“It was,” Kal said. “But now there’s hope. Though some say the mate program is too restrictive. Only certain warriors get approved.”

The passage opened into a maze of underground tunnels. Cool air carried the distinct scent of mineral deposits, and water echoed somewhere in the darkness.

She gaped at the vast underground complex. “This is incredible! I had no idea this existed. And right under the garrison.”

“Technically, we’re past the safety cordon now,” Kal said, grinning. “But since we’re going under it rather than through it…”

She laughed at his clever interpretation. The tunnels branched in multiple directions, natural cave formations blending with constructed passages.

Somewhere in the darkness, water dripped in a steady rhythm that bounced off the walls. She ran her fingers along the rough stone, feeling every bump and ridge.

“How far do these tunnels go?”

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