Page 51 of The Rebel and the Rogue

But I hadn’t. And now Ivy was gone. I’d given her everything she wanted except one thing.

Me. Completely. Blind faith. Blind trust.

“Fuck this shit,” I muttered, spinning on my heel and storming off.

I’d had Ivy from the moment I first laid eyes on her. She’d been safe to claim with my fangs and cock. Willing. Perfect. And I’d blown it. At first she hadn’t wanted the bite, not wanting to be mated, but that had changed. She’d asked, begged even, for me to do it. She’d wanted to be my mate and I’d refused.

No longer. I stormed into the transport room, scared the hell out of the tech.

“Where did Ivy Birkeland of Earth go?”

His wide eyes indicated he was surprised and a touch afraid of me. “Transport Station Zenith.”

“Send me there. Now.”

I took the steps to the raised platform two at a time, determined to claim my female. Fangs and all.

* * *

IVY

Finding a bounty wasn’t anything like going to the 7-11 and looking at the job board by the bathrooms. There was no tear-off phone number to call. I’d have to reach out to Elite Hunter Sabir again, and I had a pretty good feeling I’d burned that bridge. I had no doubt that when I ended that comm call, he’d gotten his ass chewed out by Helion. I’d brought in Gerian Eozara, just as the bounty had said. It had also stated dead or alive, so letting Astra finish the asshole didn’t break the terms. I’d even had Sabir and Helion witness it. There was no question their own eyeballs were enough evidence.

That didn’t mean they’d want to work with me again. I’d gone rogue. And that was a fucking hoot.

I tugged the blanket over my body, stuffed it under my arms, stared at the ceiling of the small quarters I’d been given on Zenith. I had nowhere to go, not until I had something to do.

Earth was out. No fucking way.

I could crawl on hands and knees to Helion and grovel—a lot—and he’d probably give me a job. He’d get what he wanted, a superpower Earth female. But I’d rather stay in this backwater transport station slinging drinks than beg him for a job.

Yeah, I’d totally gone rogue. I huffed and flopped onto my side.

I thought of Astra Legion, of my never-knew-existed-until-now home. It was home, definitely. The people there, I understood, and it seemed they understood me. They didn’t care if I was a little wild, totally impulsive, loudmouthed, intense, bossy and even completely uncontrollable.

I was just like them.

I was wanted.

By every single member of Astra but one.

Zenos.

I rolled to my other side, kicked the blankets off in annoyance.

No, he wanted me. His cock didn’t lie. But he didn’t want me enough.

I put my fingers to my neck where it was unmarked. Unscarred. I hadn’t wanted the scar that ran the length of my spine, but I did want one at my neck. One I would be proud to show off, because it meant I was loved. I belonged to him. With him.

Someone pounded on the door, and I sat up, pushed my hair back from my face.

“Go away!” I shouted, then flopped back in bed.

The pounding started up again.

“Go. The. Fuck. Away!” I yelled at the ceiling.

An ion blast and the opening of the door had me popping up and onto my knees.

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