Page 69 of Dark Rebel's Reckoning

She gave him an incredulous look, one eyebrow arched skeptically. "What are the chances of that?"

Max chuckled. "Not great, but statistics are meaningless when the Fates are involved." He'd seen too many improbable coincidences to dismiss the thought as impossible. "Just look at me finding Fenella after all these years. What were the odds of that?"

"Fair point," Kyra conceded, though she still looked dubious.

She was quiet for a moment. "The girls think they're still virgins." Her voice had dropped to a whisper, as if concerned about being overheard despite the distance from the glass doors. "The Doomer touched them inappropriately, but he didn't do more than that, probably because he didn't want them to transition."

Max frowned, trying to reconcile that with what they'd learned during the interrogation. "Didn't he say that he wanted to create his own breeding program?"

"If he wanted to be the father, he could have done that with artificial insemination," Kyra pointed out. "As long as he didn't bite them, they wouldn't transition, and then their chances of getting pregnant would be higher. The guy is proof that insanity does not equal stupidity. They can coexist in one sick brain."

"How did he know that, though?" Max began, then shook his head. "No, that was a stupid question. The Doomers know how the male Dormants are activated, and that requires only biting." He thought through the implications. "The Doomer might have thought that the same was true for female Dormants. He might not have figured out that sex was part of it as well."

Kyra nodded. "That actually makes sense. If I hadn't been told, I would have assumed the same."

The knowledge that the girls had been spared the worst possible violation was a small mercy and a relief. Still, what they had endured was horrific enough. Max's jaw tightened at the thought of the Doomer's hands on those young women. The bastard was lucky he was locked up and they needed to keep him alive for further interrogation, or Max would have torn him apart with his fangs and claws.

He was still disappointed that Kian had brought Toven to get the Doomer to talk and deprived him of the pleasure of beating him up.

"Jasmine has collected everyone's sizes and sent them to Ell-rom's sister, who knows a personal shopper." Kyra changed the subject. "The shopper is going to deliver everything later tonight, so I'll have proper clothes to wear on the mission." She looked at the leggings and hoodie she had on. "I can't go dressed like this, although given that I can just throw a burka over whatever I'm wearing, this could have worked."

"What do you usually wear on missions?"

"Same as you. Cargo pants with lots of pockets for all my weapons, a tactical vest over a long-sleeved shirt. Boots. But I wore traditional clothing when I infiltrated the compound. I didn't even have any weapons on me because they checked everyone going in." She smiled. "I took the place of a domestic servant who looked a little like me. No one ever pays attention to the cleaning ladies."

"How did you get caught?"

Her shoulders tensed. "He recognized me. I don't know how, given that most of my face was hidden behind a scarf. Maybe he smelled me."

"It's possible." Max fought with his fangs, commanding them to stay dormant and not to elongate. "I should have thought about taking you shopping for clothes. I don't know how it didn't occur to me that you can't go on a mission in snow boots or slippers."

"It's fine." Kyra leaned over to plant a quick kiss on his lips.

It was just a brief peck, barely more than a momentary touch, but the fact that she'd initiated it sent a wave of warmth through Max's chest. This simple, casual gesture meant more to him than a passionate embrace could have because it spoke of comfort, of ease, of the beginning of something special between them.

Unable to resist, he slowly lifted her onto his lap, giving her plenty of time to object if she wanted to. But she came willingly, settling against him with a quiet sigh that sounded like contentment.

Then she leaned into him and kissed him properly, her lips soft but insistent against his. Max let her set the pace, marveling at how something so simple could feel so profound.

When they parted, her eyes were bright with emotion. "You have incredible lips," she said. "Can I admit something nasty?"

He grinned. "The nastier the better. I like nasty."

"Every time I look at Fenella I think of her touching you, kissing you, and I get jealous."

"I have no problem with that."

Kyra snorted. "I didn't think you would. She's been so helpful with the girls. She's much softer on the inside than she is on the outside, and she has been through a lot." She shuddered. "I kept coming back to the compound because of her. I saw what he did to her through the little window at the top of the door,and I figured out that she was like me because her bruises would disappear by the next day. I hoped she had the answers I was looking for, but I also needed to save her. I remembered what it was like to be chained and helpless. Only instead of saving her, I ended up in the same situation. If not for you, I would still be there and so would she."

"It wasn't just me." He rubbed soothing circles on her back. "It was a team effort, and I'm not saying that out of some fake modesty."

"I know. But you were the one who got me out. Thank you."

He leaned away, looking at her face. "I hope those sweet kisses weren't a thank you."

She laughed. "No. They weren't. They started as an experiment and then turned to something more."

"I like the sound of that." He returned to rubbing her back. "Are you nervous about tomorrow?" he asked, not knowing how to make romantic small talk.

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