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"What would I even pack for something like this?" The question slipped out before she could stop it.

Gerri's eyes lit up with triumph. "Practical clothes, maybe a dress or two. Your laptop and phone, though I doubt you'll need it. And an open mind. Nova Aurora's quite lovely this time of year—temperatures in the eighties and two suns for spectacular sunsets."

Two suns.The detail felt surreal and wonderful. Wren found herself nodding before she realized she'd made a decision.

"Perfect." Gerri stood, her heels clicking against the tile again. "Meet me here tomorrow morning at eight. Then, we'll set off on the adventure of a lifetime."

As Gerri strode away, Wren sat frozen for a long moment. Then her hands were moving, dialing Mallory's number with shaking fingers.

"That was fast?—"

"I'm going to another planet," Wren blurted. "With a woman named Gerri who apparently found my website and thinks I can help a tiger shifter save his world from cyber attacks."

Silence stretched across the line for thirty seconds before Mallory spoke. "Okay, I said you needed adventure, but thissounds a bit extreme for me. But for you? It might actually be perfect. Just... be careful, okay?"

"You know I always am. I'll check in with you if I can. But I don't know exactly how the communications work there." Wren paused to take a steadying breath. "Wish me luck on my new adventure," Wren said, her voice filled with barely contained excitement.

"I wish you all the luck in the universe," Mallory replied thoughtfully. "And maybe you'll find a little romance while you're there as well."

"Don't push my luck too far. Talk to you as soon as I can," Wren said quickly, feeling her throat start to tighten.

Wren ended the call and gathered her things to hurry back home. She left the coffee shop and walked to her apartment in a daze, her mind already cataloging what she'd need to pack. Her laptop, portable drives, and comfortable clothes that could handle alien weather. By the time she reached her apartment, she was mentally planning for a trip she'd never imagined possible.

Later that night after she was all packed, she lay in bed staring at the ceiling, too wired to fall asleep despite forcing herself to get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, she'd meet a tiger shifter who was apparently failing at something crucial and who might need her particular combination of skills and stubbornness to succeed.

My life is about to change drastically, she realized.In less than twenty-four hours, everything will be different.

The thought should have terrified her. Instead, it filled her with an anticipation so fierce it felt like electricity in her veins.

TWO

RYLAN

Rylan was at his sleek workstation that afternoon, leaning forward in his chair to study the holographic displays closer. The fabric of his fitted black shirt stretched across his broad shoulders, designed for both function and the intimidating presence his position demanded. His short dark blonde hair remained perfectly styled despite the long day, and his blue eyes—normally sharp with controlled intensity—now held the brittle edge of mounting frustration.

The nutrient drink in his hand had gone warm an hour ago, but he continued taking methodical sips between bites of his protein bar. Fuel for his body. Nothing more. The Defense Nexus building hummed around him with purposeful energy, its glass-and-metal architecture designed to inspire confidence in Nova Aurora's citizens. Right now, it felt like a transparent cage showcasing his failures.

Another breach alert materialized in the holographic display and the crimson warning pulsed with urgent rhythm. Rylan's jaw tightened as he swiped through the data with precise movements, each gesture controlled despite the storm building in his chest. The hackers had penetrated their third-tier defense grid again, using a route he'd supposedly sealed yesterday.

Impossible.His fingers flew through countermeasures, deploying protocols he'd perfected over ten years as Commander of Nova Aurora's Global Security Directorate. Every technique that had made him legendary among his peers, and every strategy that had earned him the unwavering respect of the Council—all of it crumbling like paper fortifications.

The attacks weren't random. They were surgical, calculated, and somehow always one step ahead of his responses. It was as if the hackers could read his mind, anticipating his moves before he made them. The very precision that defined his character and the methodical approach that had never failed him, suddenly felt inadequate.

His tiger stirred restlessly beneath his skin, sensing the threat to their territory and their people. The beast wanted to prowl, to hunt, and to tear apart whatever dared challenge their dominance. But cyber threats couldn't be clawed or bitten. They required a different kind of warfare, one where raw power meant nothing.

"Pattern analysis complete, Commander," his workstation announced in its neutral AI voice. "Thirteen successful breaches in the past seventy-two hours. Estimated time to critical system compromise: forty-eight hours."

Forty-eight hours. Rylan's hand tightened around the nutrient bottle until the metal groaned. In two days, these faceless enemies could potentially access everything—military communications, military and civilian records, and planetary defense systems. The weight of Nova Aurora's safety pressed against his shoulders like a physical burden.

Behind him, he caught the low murmur of his junior officers. Their voices carried just far enough for his enhanced hearing to catch the words they thought he couldn't hear.

"Even the great Commander Kaedor looks ready to snap," Officer Thorne whispered, his tone mixing concern with nervous humor. "Never seen him this wound up."

"Maybe it's time someone suggested anger management classes," Officer Vale replied, her voice equally quiet but tinged with genuine worry.

"Even tigers need mates to tame them, Commander," Thorne added, the comment carrying just enough volume to ensure Rylan heard it.

The words hit like a physical blow, striking directly at the weakness he'd spent fifteen years denying. Rylan's spine went rigid, his hands freezing over the holographic interface. The casual observation stung because it echoed every conversation he'd had with the Council, every well-meaning suggestion from those who believed a mate would somehow complete him.