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And the sex.

Her knees went weak just remembering it. The most intense, soul-deep connection she'd ever experienced, like something out of fairy tales she'd stopped believing in years ago. She'd thought herself sophisticated, experienced enough to know the difference between physical attraction and something deeper. But what had happened between them transcended anything she'd ever felt with Logan or any other man. It was as if Raxen had reached past every barrier she'd erected and touched something essential, something she'd forgotten existed. She could get lost in this man and never look back.

And that's exactly why I ran.

She wasn't just attracted to Raxen—she was falling for him. Hard. After only one day on Nova Aurora, she was already imagining what it might feel like to stay, to explore whatever this mate bond meant, to see if the fairy tale could somehow be real. Which terrified her more than any rogue lion ever could.

Handing Raxen the key to her heart would be giving him the power to completely destroy her. And after Logan and Tabitha's betrayal, after watching her entire career crumble because she'd trusted the wrong people, she wasn't sure she could survive being shattered again. The wounds were still too fresh, the fear of making another catastrophic mistake in judgment still too raw.

How am I going to look him in the eye again?

Everything between them had changed in an hour. She couldn't pretend it hadn't happened, couldn't maintain professional distance when her body still hummed with the memory of his touch. The thought of sitting across from him at another meal, of working alongside him to solve the crisis threatening his territory, made her pulse race with equal parts anticipation and panic.

She needed to wash this off. Wash away the lingering scent of his skin, the phantom sensation of his hands on her body, the dangerous hope that maybe—just maybe—she'd found something worth risking her heart for.

Amara crossed the spacious room to her private bathroom, grateful for the marble-and-crystal sanctuary that rivaled anything she'd seen in Earth's finest hotels. She turned the shower to its hottest setting, steam immediately fogging the mirrors as she stepped under the scalding spray.

Maybe I can wash away what just happened between us.

But even as the water cascaded over her skin, she knew it was futile. The mate bond—whatever that mysterious connection meant—seemed embedded in her very cells. She could still feel the echo of Raxen's touch, still taste him on her lips, still hear the rough velvet of his voice when he'd called her his perfect mate.

She stood motionless under the punishing heat, letting it pound against her shoulders as she tried to make sense of the storm of emotions raging inside her. Every rational thought screamed that she was making the same mistake that had destroyed her life on Earth—getting too close, trusting too quickly, letting her guard down at the worst possible moment.

I came here to rebuild my career, not fall for an alien Alpha who makes me forget my own name.

The reminder should have steadied her. Instead, it only highlighted how far she'd already strayed from her original plan. She'd accepted Gerri's offer to prove she was still Amara Quinn, the world's most sought-after mediator. To show herself and everyone else that one betrayal couldn't define her entire future. Instead, she was hiding in a shower, trying to scrub away the most incredible sexual experience of her life because it scared her senseless.

You already saw how dangerous getting close to him is.

The attack at the market flashed through her mind—the rogue lion's snarling face, the terror of knowing she might die on an alien world, the magnificent sight of Raxen's lion form launching himself between her and danger without hesitation. Someone was targeting her now that she was here investigating the conspiracy behind his smear campaign. Broadcasting her growing feelings for him would be like painting a target on both their backs.

Someone is trying to destroy him, and now they're getting reckless enough to try removing you from the picture.

The thought sent a spike of fierce protectiveness through her, surprising her with its intensity. She'd built her career on helping people navigate their worst conflicts, but she'd never felt this personally invested in the outcome. The idea of faceless enemies working to tear down everything Raxen had built, to destroy a man who'd shown her nothing but honor and protection, made her hands clench into fists.

Well, that's not going to happen. I'm not intimidated.

This was her chance to prove she was done running from people who tried to destroy others the way Logan and Tabitha had destroyed her. If she could stop this conspiracy for Raxen, maybe she could finally feel like walking away from her own smear campaign hadn't been a complete mistake.

She was here to help him end the labor dispute, prevent the shutdown that threatened not just his territory but the entire planet's economic stability. She wouldn't let anyone stop her from doing the job she knew she could do—ending this systematic campaign of destruction.

Besides, she thought with grim determination, if I can save Solaryn, maybe I can prove to myself that Amara Quinn isn't finished yet.

Thirty minutes later, Amara emerged from her guest room wearing dark jeans and a cream silk blouse, her hair twisted into a bun that she hoped projected professional competence rather than the emotional chaos churning beneath her composed exterior. The cool fabric against her skin felt grounding after the scalding shower that had failed to wash away either the lingering heat of Raxen's touch or the dangerous pull she still felt toward him.

Focus on the job. Focus on clearing his name. Everything else can wait.

She needed to find Vessa and start the investigation immediately. The sooner she could prove the wage records and shipping manifests had been doctored, the sooner she could begin dismantling whatever conspiracy was systematically destroying Raxen's reputation. The attack today had made one thing crystal clear—someone wanted her gone badly enough to risk open violence. Which meant she was already on the right track.

The estate's corridors stretched before her like an elegant maze, all polished stone and soaring archways that spoke of wealth built over generations. She followed the sound of voices toward what she assumed was the main wing, her heeled boots clicking against the floors with each determined step. The voices grew clearer as she approached a partially open door—Vessa's diplomatic tone weaving through the deeper rumble of Raxen's commanding baritone. Amara paused outside what looked like his private office, steadying herself before stepping into view.

But the moment she crossed the threshold, that inexplicable pull toward Raxen hit her like a physical force, stronger and more insistent than before. Her breath caught as their eyes met across the spacious room, his piercing blue gaze immediately heating with an intensity that made her pulse race despite every rational thought screaming at her to maintain professional distance.

Not now. Not here.

"I didn't mean to interrupt." She kept her voice carefully neutral, though she could feel the flush creeping up her neck under his unwavering stare. "But I'd like to get started on my investigation and would like to know who I could speak to about proving the records and manifests were doctored."

Vessa, seated in one of the leather chairs facing Raxen's massive desk, turned with a knowing smile that made Amara's stomach clench. Of course she knew something had happened between them. The woman was Raxen's sister and had the kind of emotional intelligence that probably let her read romantic tension from three territories away.