Page 21 of Star Defenders (My Alien Mates 2)

Farnx and their companion shared a look and Farnx nodded.

"Very well. Go on in. We'll send word you're coming."

I nodded and marched past.

I only made it a few steps when Zarex stuck his head out a doorway and beckoned me over.

"Edie, is everything all right?" His antennas bent toward me as though they too wanted to check up on me.

I waited until I'd stepped into his office and the door closed behind us. Only then did I sag a little and tell him everything. His eyes widened, but he listened without saying a word.

When I finished, I moved toward the window and stood looking out at the stars. They shone and twinkled like nothing in the universe was wrong. Like Danec wasn't stuck alone in a room hoping to keep control of his own mind. Like the galaxy would go on without him. Like—

I wasn't aware I was crying until I sobbed.

I felt the warmth of Zarex's body before he slipped his arms around me and pulled my back to his chest. He felt so strong, so comforting.

I leaned back into him and let the tears tumble down my cheeks.

"It's okay," he said in my ear. "It's okay. Cry it out. We'll make this right, I swear."

I sobbed for a few minutes, until I gradually began to regain control of my emotions. Or maybe I just cried all the tears I had.

"Shhh. There you go." He smoothed a hand over my hair, down my cheek and stopped at the side of my neck.

His touch made my pulse race.

Fuck, Edie, Danec is in an isolation room and you're getting all hot for Zarex. He and Slek had given me their blessing to explore my attraction to the commander, but the timing sucked.

"I—" I pulled myself from his arms and walked a few steps before turning around to face him. "Danec said there's no mention of Iri in the ships databases. Did you hide it?"

Zarex quirked an antenna at me and an eyebrow to match. "That's a specific accusation." His eyes held a hint of warning.

I stared him down until he lowered his brow and the antenna moved back beside the other one.

"No, I didn't remove or hide any information. In fact, I went looking myself and found nothing. I suspect we really know why."

He pulled a handkerchief out of a desk drawer and handed it to me.

"We do?" I wiped my cheeks and under my nose.

"Who else would have a vested interest in hiding information about the Iri?" He leaned his hip against his desk.

"Other Iri?" It took me a moment to grasp what he suggested. "You think Danec did it himself?"

"Not him, as such, but the entities deep inside him."

Why did I hear innuendos in just about everything he said? Maybe because, in spite of myself, I wanted him badly. Stupid libido.

I cleared my throat. "You think they have that much control over him?"

"What is your professional opinion?" He crossed his arms over his chest and watched me like I was the only other person in the known galaxy.

I shook my head slowly. "We found none in his brain. That doesn't mean they haven't been in there at some point. I'm guessing they don't have the strength to force him to be the host for a swarm of them." I sounded bitter, even to my own ears.

"I can think of three possibilities." He lowered his arms and counted them off on his fingers. "One: they took control for just long enough to wipe or hide the information. Two: they've been ordered to stay out of sight until needed."

"They failed in that, if that was their mission," I said. I gestured for him to continue.

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