He opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. The male down the hall was reading a book and his head jerked up to stare at him. 880 approached him quickly.

“I need to run now.”

Surprise registered on the other male’s features. “I need to make some calls and—”

“I’m going to mount her if I don’t run right now. Do you know Alli? She’s human and small. I need to run.” He hated the way he snarled the words but he had promised not to cause her harm.

The other male closed his book and dropped it to the floor. “I understand. Come on. I can’t take you outside without permission but I think I know what will help.”

“What?”

“If you can’t f**k, you should enjoy fighting.” The male grinned. “I’ve been there. You should learn anyway. We’ll go to the roof. Come on.”

He opened the elevator and 880 stepped inside. He eyed the other male, a match physically to himself. “What are you called?”

“Moon.” He paused. “That’s the first thing I saw when they brought me out of Mercile. It was beautiful hanging there so high in the sky. I knew then my life was forever changed.”

The elevator opened and they were at the roof. There was an extended porch roof over it to shield it from the weather. Moon led him out onto the flat surface, which had three-foot walls around the perimeter of the building. The male pointed up.

“Look. It’s not a full moon but isn’t it beautiful? It’s a beacon of hope and light to those lost in the darkness.” He gazed at 880. “That’s why I took that for a name.”

880 felt his chest tighten. “You chose well.”

The male stripped out of his chest coverings and sat down, tearing at his boots. “I hate these things. The entire uniform sucks but we’re required to wear them. Give me one more minute to get comfortable. I’ll teach you basic fight skills. That will rid you of some of your excess energy. I’ve seen Dr. Alli and I get why you’re on edge.”

He didn’t know what to say.

“You know that some of us are mated to humans, don’t you?” Moon removed his weapons, dropping them on his discarded shirt and vest. “They aren’t like our females. They’re all soft and smaller.” He rose to his feet and walked to the center of the large area. “You had a mate from what I heard. I’m sorry for her loss.”

“I didn’t know some of our kind had mated humans.” He was surprised. “That works out fine?”

“Yes.”

“They murdered my mate in front of me.”

Moon’s mouth tightened into a grim line of anger and it flashed in his gaze. “Fucking Mercile. I know the rage you must feel. I didn’t have a mate but there was a female once I cared about. They did something to her, pumped her full of some experimental drug. It killed her. They didn’t care.” He took a deep breath. “Do you still want to fight or talk?”

880 debated and sat down. “Talk to me.”

Moon sat a few feet away. “What do you want to know?”

“How do we mate with females who are so fragile?”

“The doctor is under your skin, isn’t she? They are very different from our females. Softer and not aggressive.”

“She struck me.”

Moon frowned. “Why?”

“I made her angry.”

“How did you respond?”

“I didn’t harm her or cause her pain. I soothed her temper by stroking her body until she wasn’t confrontational anymore. That’s why I want to mount her. They smell so good when they are aroused.”

The male he faced smiled. “Yeah. I know.” He licked his lips. “Damn tasty too. They have not learned control over their bodies either. They respond without restraint.” Moon chuckled. “Their males don’t appreciate their bodies the way we do. Did you feel inside her?”

A growl burst from him. “She’s too small to accommodate me.”

“Go very slow and be gentle. They stretch and she’ll be able to take you. I’ve been there a few times with human females. Just be aware of your strength. Restraint is the key word. I’ve never shared sex with one as small as her but some of our males have mated human females who are her size.”

“I was told the humans who murdered my mate are being held captive. I want at them. How do I do that?”

Moon sighed. “I hear you and I understand. You’re never going to get access to them. They aren’t being held here by the NSO. Humans have them locked up in what they call a private prison system some miles away. They are contained inside small cages with a toilet and sink. They have no freedom. They suffer there for their crimes against us. They are separated from everything they held dear and aren’t going to be freed. I visited there once when it opened. It’s as bad as we were subjected to but in different ways.”

“What differences?”

“Open cages with bars where they can see each other. They have no privacy. We had that at least. But they aren’t chained to the walls constantly. Their cages are smaller than the rooms we were held in. The humans who guard them are just as cruel from what I understand. They are suffering.” Moon paused. “Death would be too swift a punishment. They will never be released and will have to survive a long time with those living conditions. Do you understand?”

“I still want to kill them.”