The echoes of the rant rang out loudly in the small room. The two males to Tanin’s back shifted their weight like they were uncomfortable. Garnet was shaking again. Not with pleasure or fear this time, but with rage. Hot and directed sharply at the domini male across the table who let out long, irritated breath.
But Ikvar did finally drop into the other chair at least. He looked at them across the table with a weary expression on his face. “Female, I am a sworn officer of the law. I cannot ignore their pasts.”
“What pasts? Sway and Vytln and Rok and the others? They don’t have records, do they? I sure hope those scary killers never show their faces again. And should they do so, I’m sure a good, law abiding peacekeeper like you will deal with it. But I’ve never seen them. Have you?”
Ikvar was silent for a long time. Looking at them without a change in expression as Garnet glared him down. The air was tense, strained, as Garnet trembled atop him. The emotions choking her. She was glorious in her righteous anger. Tanin’s wrists were sore from straining against the manacles as the urge to grab her rode him hard.
Then, Ikvar chuckled. The sound was so surprising, it made Garnet pull back. Tanin looked over her shoulder at the amused captain. He caught his eye and smirked.
“Quite a female you’ve got there, Tanin.”
“She’s fierce, isn’t she?” Tanin agreed, rubbing his nose against her neck. His arms were aching as he strained them against the cuffs. He desperately wanted to embrace her now. He supposed he’d have to settle for this.
“You sure she’s your mate?” Ikvar asked. “She’d make a good mate for a domini.”
Tanin snarled, his smile falling. “Get your own female, Ikvar.”
The captain chuckled again, looking back at Garnet. His expression was unreadable for a long moment. She, however, was unmoved. Her entire body tightened like she was prepared to fight, physically, if that’s what she had to do.
“I could arrest them, you know,” Ikvar said at last, voice low and steady, no longer heated or threatening. “I’ve proven that their identities are fake. I may not be able to get Tanin, but the others I have proof of the crimes they committed on Rik-Vane. Of the people they are.”
She tensed again. Her jaw clenched. But before she could say anything, he jerked his head at one of the keepers standing behind them.
They stepped forward and, with a click, the magcuffs were released. Immediately, Tanin embraced Garnet from behind as he had been wanting to do. She relaxed automatically, leaning back against him. She didn’t soften, but she was finally in his arms.
Ikvar stood, giving them a hard look. “Female, you make a good point. The people they killed were killers. Criminals who were no better than themselves. Most of the crimes they’ve ever committed were on Rik-Vane. And they are the first ones to ever make it out like this. So, as an apology for ruining your mating ceremony, I’ll give them this chance.”
“Huh?” Garnet blinked, surprised.
Ikvar grunted. “I want to see how far they can go. I want to see if the brutal and cruel can change. They’ve made the choice to do so. They’ve followed it this far. I want to see if they can make it to the end. If the people of Rik-Vane really can be rehabilitated.”
Garnet let out a single laugh of relief as, finally, all the tension left her body at once. She beamed, eyes sparkling. “Captain! Thank you!”
“I’ll be keeping an eye on you,” Ikvar said, speaking directly to Tanin.
“I never doubted it,” he replied evenly. “Any chance I can get my belongings back?”
“They’ll be brought to you. Now, excuse me. I need to see if we got any new information on that anonymous tip.”
“Please, do so,” Tanin agreed calmly.
The captain left and, a short time later, another keeper came in with Tanin’s clothes, Garnet’s shock stick, both of their combots, and everything else they’d been forced to leave at the inn. Her lingerie, stuffed animal, and flower bouquet were all safe in her shopping bag. His female only got off his lap then so he could get dressed.
He did so quickly before taking her hand and leading her outside.
“What’s the rush?” Garnet laughed, letting him pull back onto the streets.
Tanin wasn’t smiling any longer as he turned on his combot.
“That tip was too perfectly placed,” he said. “Whoever did it had to know it would lead to nothing.”
“What?” Garnet frowned at him. “Wait, what do you mean?”
“I mean, this was just a distraction.”
The combot came to life and immediately began flashing red. An emergency alert from Alred displayed in front of him, sent right around the time they were being dragged out of the inn. A moment when he wouldn’t be able to get to his combot
The alert was simple, and there was no follow up.
