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  “I d-don’t know.” Kat brushed at her eyes angrily. “I’m sorry—I don’t know why I let him affect me like this. He’s such a bastard.”

  “He does put the ass in asshole,” Liv agreed calmly. “But it sounds like he’s not all bad.”

  “He’s the reason we’re going to the Scourge home world in the first place,” Kat said, sniffing. “He doesn’t want to be bonded to me—not even partially bonded. We’re supposed to find some machine the Scourge invented called ‘the psychic knife’ to cut ourselves apart.”

  “What a jerk!” Sophie said indignantly. “Don’t you listen to him, Kat. Any guy would be lucky to have you!”

  “Speaking of other guys, how does Lock feel about all this?” Olivia asked. “It seems to me that he’s always in the middle of you two—that can’t be easy for him.”

  “I don’t know.” Kat shook her head. “We didn’t talk on the trip back home at all. None of us. But…I’m pretty sure the two of them were fighting after our argument on Twin Moons.”

  “Really? How could you tell?” Liv looked interested.

  “I’d say Deep’s face was a pretty good indication. He looks like he slammed head-first into a concrete wall. And the knuckles on Lock’s right hand are all cut and bruised.”

  “A fist fight?” Liv shook her head. “Really? Because I was under the impression that Twin Kindred never strike each other—under any circumstances. I think it hurts them just as much to hit their twin as it does to be hit…like they share the pain they inflict or something like that. That’s what Baird told me, anyway.”

  “Well, I’d say they made an exception to the no-knuckle-sandwich-between-brothers rule,” Kat said dryly but she couldn’t help being troubled. “I guess…I guess they were fighting over me.”

  “Lock loves you, doesn’t he?” Sophie said sympathetically.

  Kat nodded. “And I could love him too if—”

  “If Deep wasn’t in the way,” Olivia finished for her.

  But Kat shook her head. “No, that’s not what I was going to say. I could love Lock—hell, I could love both of them if there was any chance of my love being returned.”

  “But what about having their emotions in your head all the time?” Sophie asked. “I thought you hated that.”

  Kat thought of the warm, happy feelings she’d gotten from both brothers just moments before they were captured by the natives. “It’s not so bad when they’re in a good mood. But Deep…”

  “Is never in a good mood,” both Liv and Sophie said.

  Kat nodded sadly. “You know, for awhile there back on Twin Moons, I really thought we were almost on the same page. I found out what Deep had done for me and then we talked and it seemed like the three of us were getting really close. Especially after—” She broke off abruptly, blushing.

  “After what?” Sophie and Liv demanded together. “Come on, Kat—give.”

  “Oh God, you guys, do I really have to say it?” Kat looked at them, pleading with her eyes. “You’re married women now—or practically married. You get enough hot sex of your own without hearing about my measly sex life.”

  “Are you kidding me? We might get hot sex but you my friend are getting some genuine ménage a trois action,” Liv said. “Or are you?”

  Kat sighed. “Well…kinda.”

  “Kinda? What does that mean?” Sophie frowned. “When I think how you two pried out the details of how Sylvan healed me and marked me in that cabin…”

  “All right, all right…” Kat held up her hands in a gesture of defeat. “I’ll tell all. But you can’t laugh.”

  “Why would we laugh?” Sophie grabbed the platter of oozing cookie sandwiches. “Come on, let’s move this into the living room.”

  “Before I start,” Kat said, once they were comfortably settled on the large leather couch. “I want to get one thing straight—what was it that you guys thought Baird and Sylvan knew about Deep before I told you about how he took my pain?”

  “We told you—we’ don’t know,” Liv said and she and Sophie gave each other an uneasy look.

  “It’s something about Deep’s past,” Sophie said. “Something really bad, I think. Sylvan said you aren’t in any danger from him though, if that’s any consolation.”

  “Not much.” Kat’s stomach did a flip. “God, I wonder what it was? And even if Deep won’t tell me, why doesn’t Lock?”

  Sophie shrugged. “Who knows? Why didn’t he tell you about how Deep had taken your pain?”

  “Baird says there’s a huge stigma among the Kindred in being involved in a tragedy involving a potential mate,” Olivia said.

  “A potential mate? And tragedy? That’s the word he used?” Kat raised an eyebrow.

  “Yup.” Liv nodded. “It’s like a blot on their character—a shame they can never live down. Maybe Lock is ashamed to tell you about whatever it is.”

  “Maybe,” Kat said thoughtfully. “Or maybe Deep won’t let him.” She sighed. “He never has wanted to let me in—not even a little bit. He blocks me constantly.”

  “Well, you won’t have to put up with it for much longer,” Sophie said comfortingly. “But…do you really think it’s safe, going to the Scourge home world?”

  “Baird says it’s completely deserted,” Liv said. “There was this big battle there about fifty years ago and the Kindred annihilated almost everyone living there—which were all men, by the way, since the Scourge have no females. The few that were left packed up and flew off in the Fathership. They’ve been growing more warriors in these huge, disgusting vats ever since but they can’t have any babies naturally because they have no women.”

  “I wonder if that has anything to do with that weird prophesy they’re always talking about?” Sophie said in a low voice. “And with cousin Lauren. You don’t think she’s…they took her to…to…uh, replenish their race, do you? I mean, because when they had me in that ship they were talking about…about breeding and—” She broke off, clearly too upset to finish.

  Olivia shivered and gave her sister a comforting hug. “I know it was awful, Sophie but it’s over now. And as for what they want with Lauren, maybe Kat can find out. That’s the excuse Baird used to the Council,” she explained turning to Kat. “You guys are going to hunt for traces of Lauren and also see if you can get any more information on the Scourge prophesy.”

  “So we’re on a fact finding mission that just happens to double as a psychic soul-divorce,” Kat said dryly. “Lovely.”

  “It’s better than being tied to a man who doesn’t love you,” Sophie said, straightening up. “You know that, Kat.”

  “Yes, I know.” Kat sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “I thought about that a lot while we were on Twin Moons. Mostly because of, you know, my mom and dad.”

  “They…weren’t very happy together, were they?” Sophie asked tactfully.

  “Our house was a war zone,” Kat said flatly. “They were always screaming insults at each other, throwing things…hitting each other. That’s why I was always over at your house.” She shook her head. “I swore to myself that I would never be with a man I didn’t love with my whole heart, who loved me the same way. I can’t be with someone I’m constantly fighting with—someone who doesn’t want me.”

  “Of course you can’t,” Sophie exclaimed. “Just wait until they cut you lose, Kat, and find some other nice Kindred. Try a Blood Kindred like Sylvan—they’re wonderful.”

  “I would have to put in a vote for a Beast Kindred,” Olivia said, grinning. “Not only are they the best lovers, they’re the best cooks too. Baird has been making me something new every night.”

  “Better than his first attempt at pizza, I hope?” Kat said, trying to smile.

  Liv grinned. “Much better. Baird’s come a long way from the days when he thought fruit cocktail was a good topping option.”

  Kat sighed. “They sound great and both of your husbands are wonderful men…”

  “I hear a ‘but’ coming,” Sophie murmured.