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Great. Now I'm the woman who threw herself at the Alpha and then ran away like a startled teenager.

"Of course." Vessa rose gracefully, her blue eyes—so similar to her brother's—dancing with barely concealed amusement. "I can bring you to our security center and introduce you to Pax. He's our senior logistics analyst and communications expert. If anyone can dig into the data and find proof of tampering, it's him."

Raxen leaned forward in his chair, every line of his powerful frame radiating the kind of protective intensity that made Amara's traitorous body respond with unwelcome heat. "Vessa, you can take Amara there, but bring Jalen with you."

The command in his voice—that absolute Alpha authority she'd witnessed in the conference room—should have irritated her. Instead, it sent a strange thrill through her that she ruthlessly suppressed. This was exactly the kind of controlling behavior she needed to establish boundaries around, not fantasize about.

"Of course." Vessa's tone remained diplomatically pleasant, though Amara caught the subtle glance she shot between her brother and their guest. "Amara, I heard about the attack earlier. I'm so sorry that happened."

"It's fine." The words came out sharper than she'd intended. "Thankfully, Raxen showed up and saved me, and I'm grateful for that."

She deliberately avoided looking at him as she spoke, but she could feel the weight of his stare like a physical touch. The memory of his lion form launching himself between her and danger, of the fierce protectiveness in his eyes when he'd shifted back to human form, made something deep in her chest tighten with an emotion she wasn't ready to name.

"I'm just glad everyone is safe, but please don't rush off alone again," Raxen said firmly.

The words hung in the air, loaded with everything they weren't saying. His concern, her stubborn independence, the impossible situation they'd created by crossing professional boundaries.

He wants to say more.

She could see it in the tension of his shoulders and the way his blue eyes searched her face as if looking for some sign that she wasn't going to bolt again the moment things became complicated.

Vessa cleared her throat delicately, her diplomatic instincts clearly recognizing the emotional minefield developing in her brother's office. "All right then. Come on, Amara. Let's get to work."

Grateful for the escape route, Amara followed Vessa from the office without another glance at Raxen, though she could feel his gaze burning into her back until they disappeared around the corner. They found Jalen waiting outside the estate's main entrance, his imposing frame relaxed but alert, like someone perpetually prepared for trouble. The sight of him standing there, clearly positioned as their escort, struck Amara as oddly convenient.

"That was quick." She kept her tone light, though suspicion prickled at the back of her mind. "Were you just hanging around out here?"

Jalen's warm brown eyes crinkled with something that might have been amusement. "Alpha's orders. Security has been increased around the estate."

Of course it has.

The three of them set off toward the main settlement in companionable silence, Vessa and Jalen flanking Amara as they followed the well-worn path that connected Raxen's estate to Solaryn's bustling center. The walk gave her time to study the territory she'd agreed to help save—rolling hills covered in that distinctive purple grass, yellow stone outcroppings that caught the light from both suns, and the distant glimmer of pink water from the canals that served as Solaryn's commercial lifeline.

It was beautiful in a way that made her chest ache with unexpected longing. This wasn't just some alien world she'd agreed to visit temporarily. This was Raxen's home, the place he'd spent twenty years rebuilding after his father's murder, the territory he'd die to protect.

And someone is trying to destroy it all.

An hour later, they arrived at a sleek building that looked more like a high-tech research facility than anything she'd expected to find on an alien world. The security center hummed with quiet efficiency, banks of monitors displaying data streams and communication channels that probably connected Solaryn to territories across the entire planet.

"Pax?" Vessa called out as they entered the main work area. "I'd like you to meet someone."

A lean man with sandy-brown hair and bright green eyes looked up from a complex array of screens, his expression shifting from intense concentration to polite curiosity. He looked young—probably early thirties—but carried himself with confidence. Like he understood systems and patterns better than most people understood themselves.

"This is Amara Quinn," Vessa continued. "The mediator Alpha Raxen hired to help with the crisis. She'd like your assistance with determining if the records, shipping manifests—anything at all in the past two weeks—seems fabricated or tampered with."

Pax's eyes sharpened with interest, and Amara felt a spark of hope. This was someone who cared about getting to the truth, not just protecting political positions or maintaining comfortable lies.

"I'd be happy to help." His voice carried genuine enthusiasm, not mere politeness. "It might take some time to dig into everything properly, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to find out if something deeper is happening here."

"Thank you, Pax. I appreciate your willingness to help." Amara stepped closer to his workstation, noting the meticulous organization of his data displays. "I hope we can get to the bottom of this."

"Well, I don't believe the rumors or allegations about Alpha Raxen," Pax said firmly, his loyalty evident in every word. "He's a good leader, a fair one. If someone is manufacturing evidence to make him look bad, I want to help you clear his name."

The conviction in his voice made Amara smile—the first genuine smile she'd managed since fleeing Raxen's bathroom. Finally, an ally who seemed motivated by justice rather than politics.

Now if only I could figure out how to investigate Tavian without arousing suspicion.

The thought of Raxen's uncle sent unease crawling up her spine. Something about the man's behavior in the morning meeting had felt off—not just his obvious frustration with her presence, but the way he'd positioned himself as the alternative to solving Raxen's problems. She needed to investigate him more closely, but approaching Tavian directly would require Raxen's help, which meant more time alone with the man whose protective instincts made her want to lean into his strength instead of maintaining her independence.