Play of Passion

Play of Passion is the ninth book in the overall series. Chronologically, it follows Bonds of Justice and precedes the short story "Home." It has a deleted scene called "Wolf School" and the short story "Clean and Dirty" takes place at roughly the same time.

Play of Passion


Author	Nalini Singh
Publication date	November 2010
Publication Order
Preceded by Bonds of Justice	Followed by Kiss of Snow

Synopsis[]

In his position as tracker for the SnowDancer pack, it’s up to Drew Kincaid to rein in rogue changelings who have lost control of their animal halves—even if it means killing those who have gone too far. But nothing in his life has prepared him for the battle he must now wage to win the heart of a woman who makes his body ignite…and who threatens to enslave his wolf.

Lieutenant Indigo Riviere doesn’t easily allow skin privileges, especially of the sensual kind—and the last person she expects to find herself craving is the most wickedly playful male in the den. Everything she knows tells her to pull back before the flames burn them both to ash…but she hasn’t counted on Drew’s will.

Now, two of SnowDancer’s most stubborn wolves find themselves playing a hot, sexy game even as lethal danger stalks the very place they call home…

Characters[]

Main Characters[]

Recurring Characters[]

New Characters[]

Mentioned or non-Speaking Roles[]

Acton Kincaid, unnamed
Adam Garrett
Aden Kai
Adria Morgan
Ashaya Aleine
Bastien Smith, unnamed
D'Arn, unnamed
Dominic
Eduardo
Evie Riviere
Faith NightStar
Gloria
Grace Burke, unnamed
Grey Smith
Hamilton
Isabella Garcia, unnamed
Jacques
Joaquin
Kaleb Krychek
Keenan Aleine, unnamed
Kieran
Kit Monaghan
Lia Smith, unnamed
Lucy
Maeve Kincaid, unnamed
Meadow Sanderson
Michael Smith, unnamed
Ming LeBon
Molly
Nathan Ryder
Naya Hunter, unnamed
Noor Hassan, unnamed
Sage Smith, unnamed
Santano Enrique
Seb
Tanique Gray
Tatiana Rika-Smythe
Toby Lauren
Vasic Zen
Vaughn D'Angelo, unnamed

Plot[]

Please be aware this book contains depictions of violence, toxic relationships, physical trauma from a long fall, and fantasy racism.

Chapter 1[]

In the middle of a torrential storm, Indigo Riviere and Andrew Kincaid are tracking a young packmate, Joshua, who’s on the verge of going rogue and fights the older, larger, and more-trained Drew, who’s also SnowDancer’s tracker. Once they manage to bring him down, Indigo tells him that his sister’s alive and they got her to the infirmary in time. She’s asking for her brother so he needs to pull it together and draws on her dominance to get him to turn human again. The boy’s still upset as he was supposed to be watching her, but Indigo reassures him that it wasn’t his fault, he couldn’t have stopped a rockfall. A broken arm, two broken ribs, and a cool eyebrow scar she’s already showing off.

Joshua apologizes and wants to go home. Indigo tells him not to turn wolf for a week because he lost control and doesn’t want to take any chances. He admits that he’s been having problems, not unusual for his age group, and something his teachers should have picked up on.

They shepherd the boy back to the den and leave him with his mom and the SnowDancer alpha, Hawke Snow. That done, Indigo finds Drew’s injured and tries to get him to go see the healer, Lara, to get stitches, but he has other ideas and kisses her.

Chapter 2[]

Drew’s frustrated when Indigo regains her self-control and pulls away, telling him that she’ll forgive him for “slobbering” over her once, but will kick his ass if he tries it again. She says he can stay there and die of blood loss but she’s going to have a hot bath and some cheesecake. He asks if she’ll share if he goes to the healer first. Underneath his playful exterior, he’s serious about becoming entangled with Indigo, who sees him only as a packmate and one she outranks at that. His dominance level is ambiguous and critical to his work for their alpha.

Indigo drops him off with Lara and he returns to his room to shower. When he gets out, he finds her sitting on his bed and eating a huge a piece of cheesecake. Upon her offer of a bite, he says he should put on clothes unless she prefers otherwise. She snorts and says she’s already seen all he’s got and isn’t impressed. It stings his pride, but calling her bluff, he drops his towel as he grabs clothing.

Despite her words, Indigo stares at his backside and although she can’t read him very well, she can tell she’d hurt him. As things turn intimate, she protests that she doesn’t get involved with her subordinates and he reminds her that he doesn’t report to her. Then she claims she can’t get involved with Riley’s baby brother and he growls that he’s not a child. Next, she points out that she was his trainer and he’s too young for her. He dismisses that as excuses and she growls that she’s not one of his playmates.

When he pushes things in a serious direction instead of merely play, she warns him that if he tries it again, she’ll shred his face. She’d thought he accepted and respected her only he’d just acted like another one of the cocky young males who thought they’d tame her, which was a painful betrayal.

Chapter 3[]

In London, the Scotts discuss closing the PsyNet to “outside influences” as Henry still believes Nikita Duncan is wrong and that Silence isn’t on the verge of failing, that she’s been tainted through contact with changelings. To achieve perfect Silence and racial isolation, they intend to eliminate Sascha Duncan, Faith NightStar, Ashaya Aleine, their mates, the DarkRiver pack, Hawke Snow, SnowDancer’s lieutenants, Sophia Russo, Max Shannon, and Nikita Duncan. Ming LeBon will have to be eliminated as well if he won’t join their side. Anthony Kyriakus they haven’t yet decided on.

Chapter 4[]

Andrew knows he messed up with Indigo, but he has no intention of giving up even though she gets in subtle digs at him during a meeting with Hawke. Worse, Hawke informs them that another lieutenant, Riaz Delgado, who’s been working abroad for SnowDancer and had a fling with Indigo in the past is returning to the den.

The youth they’d had to hunt down isn’t the only one who’s been having problems. They’ve been so busy defending against the Council that their young ones haven’t had the attention they need and Hawke wants Drew and Indigo to help redress that. She agrees, angry and frustrated that no one noticed the problem, but Hawke admits Drew had brought it up, he just hadn’t seen it as a priority. Drew admits he should have pressed Hawke on it, but none of them were critical, Joshua was pushed to the brink by a highly stressful emergency situation. Annoyed that she didn’t know about it or exactly what Drew does in his role, she asks how he knows so much. He says people talk to him and that it’s not only the den kids who’re struggling, but a few in the wider territory could use some help.

Hawke wants them to take the kids into the mountains for a couple of days for some one-on-one time and to check in if there’s any deeper issues that need addressing. He’s clearing his schedule so he can join them for at least one of the days.

Indigo’s struggling with her new attraction to Drew after never having seen him as a potential partner and with the thought that their friendship’s dead. Those feelings are soon overwhelmed by annoyance that Drew hasn’t apologized yet and is acting as if nothing happened.

Leaving Hawke’s office, Drew stops to hug Sienna Lauren and asks if the leopard boy, Kit Monaghan, is treating her right, knowing full well that Hawke could hear them. Then, dropping his voice so Hawke couldn’t hear, he tells her to give Hawke hell and then come and tell Drew about it.

If Drew apologizes to Indigo now, she’ll put them both back into the roles she believes are the only acceptable ones so he decides to keep her angry and thus thinking about him. He fully intends to apologize, but on his terms, not hers.

Chapter 5[]

Sienna thanks Hawke for letting her spend so much time with DarkRiver, that Sascha and Faith have been helping her with her shields. Only those shields immediately fracture with the slightest touch as he brushes a cut on her cheek. Despite her attraction to him, she asks him not to touch her, which he doesn’t like despite his determination to ignore his own attraction to her.

Chapter 6[]

Although Andrew loves his pack, they’re terribly nosy and he doesn’t want to deal with their scrutiny while wooing Indigo, but Judd can keep a secret, just not from his mate who’s also Andrew’s sister. Judd tells him that he and Brenna have already noticed the way he looks at Indigo, that it’s only noticeable to family. He also says that she worries about Drew, which is surprising to him since Riley’s the one who tries to take responsibility for the whole world, or at least he tried before he mated Mercy since she’s now breaking him of that habit.

Drew confides in Judd that Indigo thinks Riaz, or someone like him, is the right match for her, but he doesn’t think that they’d know her like Drew does. Judd questions whether Drew truly knows Indigo because Brenna’s said that he’s had a crush on Indigo for a long time. It’s not that he questions Drew’s feelings or implying he’s wrong, Judd’s asking Drew to critically examine his emotions and ensure that he hasn’t fallen for an image of Indigo that he’s created in his own mind over the years.

Cooling off, literally, in the icy lake, Drew thinks of his memories of her over the years in various situations when she was at her best, her worst, and everything in between. The plan is to keep on as he has, not letting her ignore him because he doesn’t fit her parameters, but Judd tells him that’s not his strong suit. Drew’s floored that his Psy assassin brother-in-law’s giving him dating advice and Judd points out that he’s mated while Drew’s striking out with Indigo.

Extremely slow to trust and suspicious of everyone, Sienna came to like and trust Drew, allowing him to hug her. Drew shrugs and said he just talked to her. Judd reminds him that he also bribed her with a dozen gourmet cupcakes and she and Toby and Marlee devoured them all in a day. Another time, he painted pink daisies in water soluble paint on the vehicle she normally drives as well as her backpack. He charmed Sienna into trusting him.

Leaving Andrew to process, Judd stops off at home to kiss Brenna and promise he’ll be home in a couple of hours.

Judd meets with Xavier Perez who informs him that there are Psy in his congregation. They attend covertly since religion’s forbidden under Silence and a couple of them shared their contact details with him. One of them, Gloria, always lets Father Perez know if she can’t make a Thursday night service, which she attends every week. She wasn’t there this week and she didn’t let him know, nor is there any answer on her phone. Aloud, he promises to see what he can learn, but privately he suspects she’s been rehabilitated.

Chapter 7[]

In spite of Indigo’s insistence that she and Drew are incompatible, she didn’t go home with anyone after the party and she’s irritable because she assumes he did. She runs into her mom, Tarah, who invites her to talk about what’s bugging her over coffee.

Indigo's sister, Evie, who’s away at university, will be coming for a visit in a few weeks and Indigo tries to scare off Tai, threatening to beat him into a pulp. He growls at her and threatens to beat her to a pulp. Perhaps not the best of comebacks, but he’s also the first of Evie’s potential suitors to stand up to her and she won’t let her sweet younger sister be with someone who can’t protect her.

While in the city, Andrew meets with Teijan who says that the Psy seem jumpy lately, nothing definitive, just whispers of two or three dead under suspicious circumstances.

Lara, who’s out shopping to work off a bad mood, runs into Drew. He starts to ask if her mood has anything to do with Walker, having seen her angry with him at the party, but before he can finish the sentence, she warns him not to and in turn she won’t give him grief about Indigo. She asks why Indigo’s so mad at him, but he doesn’t tell.

Chapter 8[]

To blow off some steam, Indigo and Hawke go for a run and when they stop for a rest, he chides her for not talking to him when she’s having trouble, but she tells him she’s handling it. She also points out she’s not the only one and Sienna’s now an adult, but Hawke says Riley made it clear she was off-limits. Now, however, Sienna’s coming into her own and Indigo’s of the opinion she can start to handle a bit of Hawke. He doesn’t say anything to that, just saying they should get back.

The news that Indigo went for a run with Hawke has jealousy eating Andrew up inside, but before he can do anything stupid Riley calls from South America where he’s visiting Mercy’s grandmother and her pack. Riley can immediately tell something’s wrong and Drew asks him if Indigo and Hawke were ever involved. No, and he shouldn’t ever let on to Indigo that the thought ever occurred to him.

Mercy takes the phone and tells Drew not to be anyone but who he is, which will give him the element of surprise when he pounces. Her words bolster his bruised confidence.

Chapter 9[]

Indigo’s still angry, assuming that Drew had expected her to be a casual fling.

Since Hawke had, had Drew spend some time with the WindHaven falcons a month ago to get a feel for them, Drew joins a lieutenant meeting to discuss the alliance negotiations.

Chapter 10[]

Anthony Kyriakus and Nikita Duncan meet at Faith’s old house to discuss who the Arrow Squad might pick to switch their allegiance to, the two most likely candidates being Kaleb Krychek and Vasic Zen. Vasic has no desire to lead, but whoever he chooses to follow will likely indicate the whole Squad’s opinion. Aden Kai’s a possible third.

Of greater concern than the Arrows, however, are the Scotts and they begin to plan together.

Chapter 11[]

Brenna helps Judd look for Xavier’s missing parishioner, Gloria, and finds that her accounts have had no activity for four days and she’s given up her lease. Her apartment’s completely empty and cleaned to the level of a Council crew sent to erase someone or perhaps she was rehabilitated.

There’s no sign of Andrew when Indigo sets out with the juveniles for their camping trip, which irritates her further, but they can’t wait for him. The place where she’d planned to stop for lunch is set with a huge blanket and a picnic lunch and Drew’s waiting for them with a separate blanket set aside for Indigo so she could have a little break. She’s still annoyed, thinking he’s continuing to pretend nothing happened.

Over lunch, Drew said he knew she could handle the dozen kids on her own while he ran ahead to make sure that the trail was stable and free of possible rock slides after the recent storm. She kicks herself for not considering that and then chides him for not telling her. He says he left a message on her phone, which currently has a dead battery. For dessert there’s cheesecake because he ruined the experience of the other one and he apologizes for the other night. He hadn’t apologized sooner because he wanted to do it properly and she was too mad to listen. She was determined not to melt for him, but she admits to herself that her response had been out of proportion.

Chapter 12[]

Things between Drew and Indigo are back to the way they were, or so she thinks. After they set up camp, Andrew takes his wolf form for a tracking lesson. During the game, Sylvia finds an odd, rusted metal ball with wires inside that was probably washed downstream. There's too much damage to tell what it was, though.

Chapter 13[]

The mutual attraction between Drew and Indigo ratchets up another notch since they're sharing a tent. He gives her an out by blaming his biology and pretends to sleep, but they end up cuddling in their sleep.

Chapter 14[]

Judd breaks the news to Xavier that his parishioner's dead. Although the official death certificate Brenna found lists the cause of death as sudden cardiac failure, her spotlessly empty apartment points to something more premeditated than an unexpected death. They tell the Ghost about the Psy deaths in San Francisco and he tells them in turn about the quiet war between Councilors. He's considering eliminating them all, which would also give him control over the PsyNet.

Chapter 15[]

Andrew and Indigo haven't slept long when they wake up to the scent of strange Psy, but only find faint boot tracks. The intruders were teleport-capable and the only reason for their presence that the two SnowDancers can think of in such a remote location is as a secret meeting place. Since the threat is gone, seemingly leaving when they realized wolves were in the area, they take a moment to play as their wolves before reporting to Judd back at the den. The Arrow organizes extra patrols in the area.

Hawke shows up early the next morning with Maria, a beautiful young female soldier who openly hits on Drew. Indigo's immediately jealous and Andrew asks Hawke why. Feigning innocence, he says she volunteered and Drew's obviously touch-hungry. Drew pushes Hawke's buttons back by asking if he's projecting.

They discuss the discovery the night before, but all they can do is be cautious.

Chapter 16[]

That night around the laz-fire, Maria continues to flirt with Drew and he thought she'd been seeing Kieran, a packmate. She tries to brush off the question, but Drew can tell she's hurting and asks her a walk since she's unlikely to open up to him where others can hear. She admits that the other girls had tried to warn her about Kieran, who a known love 'em and leave 'em type for all that he's human, but she thought she could "tame" him. He holds her and tells her that Kieran's an idiot who's going to kick himself one day once Maria grows a little more into her own, which helps her bruised ego.

Indigo assumes that Andrew and Maria went off into the woods for other reasons and, quietly seething, packs up his gear and leaves it neatly under a nearby tree before crawling into her sleeping bag. She's still awake when the two of them return and is confused when Maria goes to her tent and Drew angrily pulls off his shirt in preparation to sleep under the trees as his wolf. Indigo says she thought he'd be sharing with Maria and he's angry that she thought he'd take advantage of a heartbroken girl. After asking after Maria's emotional state, she admits that she was wrong and invites him back into the tent. He turns her down, saying he'd rather sleep in the rain that's threatening rather than being frozen out by her for asking her to change her view of the world and way things should be.

Angry again, Indigo asks what that means and he, in turn, asks why she's sniping at him before kissing her. She accuses him of lying about everything returning to normal between them and he accuses her of lying, too, because it's obvious she wants him and is lying to herself. She gets the last word in, telling him that she might play with boys, but she doesn't keep them.

Chapter 17[]

One of the Psy intruders reports to Henry Scott that they'll have to work the operation quickly now that they've been detected.

Chapter 18[]

Andrew and Indigo avoided each other as much as possible for the rest of the trip, but once back at the den and cooling down a little, he leaves a note under her door and goes to repair one of the pack vehicles. He's stopped along the way with a tip about something called "purity" and he starts talking to packmates to learn more about the rumour: eating lunch with soldiers, playing chess with elders, hanging out in the infirmary and training rooms.

Once he has enough to report, Drew tells Hawke that an anonymous email was sent to some of the pack encouraging racial isolation and prejudice against both Psy and humans. Everyone who received it deleted it immediately, thinking it was unimportant trash, but it's concerning that the lower tiers of the hierarchy were targeted. Drew's already looking to see if the message reached others outside of the den or even other groups in the city; they both suspect Pure Psy's behind it. The list of people Drew intends to talk to includes Max Shannon, but intends to be circumspect about what information he shares since they're still wary towards Nikita.

Hawke asks about Indigo and Drew warns him against interfering.

The note Drew had left Indigo was to invite her to dinner and challenge her into exploring a relationship with him and she's been stewing over it all day.

Drew heads to the playground and ends up chatting with Tarah, Indigo's mom. He admits that he and Indigo are attracted to each other, but she's being stubborn.

Chapter 19[]

Tarah tells Andrew how sick Evie was in childhood and how it tore Indigo apart every time her little sister had to go to the hospital. He understands that, that Indigo's afraid of being that vulnerable with anyone other than her family. She says there's another family member he needs to meet, but not quite yet. Tarah approves of him, but warns him not to drive her girl too crazy before putting him to work playing with the pups.

Riaz watches Indigo's trainees run the obstacle course and then invites her to play with him, racing each other through the course. She jumps at the chance, seeing him as the perfect match for her since she won't have to worry he'll be hurt or threatened by her dominance.

Drew joins the crowd that forms to watch Indigo and Riaz race even though it's a kick to his gut. It's close but Indigo beats Riaz and he admits she's faster than the last time they raced the course. It's painful for Drew to watch the two of them so comfortable with each other in a way he fears she'll never be with him. Then she accepts Riaz's offer of dinner.

Chapter 20[]

Although she tells herself Riaz is the right decision, Indigo looks for Andrew in the crowd only to find he's slipped away. She finds she's disappointed to know that while she may have saved both of them pain, there won't be any more notes left under her door, gifts of the fossils she collects, ambushing kisses, or challenges from Drew. She continues to try and convince herself that she made the right choice.

Drew leaves the den for awhile. He could have continued to chase after Indigo even though she publicly chose someone else, but he forces himself to walk away after seeing how happy she was with Riaz and without any of the angst there was between her and Drew. So to regain some sense of equilibrium through the violent rage towards another packmate, he starts to head out only to be accosted by a pup trying to escape bedtime. He takes Ben Stone back to his family quarters, but before going back to bed, Ben gives Drew an action figure. Since the toy makes him happy, he figures it will help cheer Drew up since he can tell Drew's upset.

Indigo knows that Riaz is acceptable, but she misses the intense and wild young man he'd been and wishes he was a little more playful. When he tells the server they won't be having dessert, she can't help but compare him to Drew who'd never make the mistake of saying no to desert. Over the course of dinner, Indigo realizes that she wants a mating like her parents have, two people who fit each other perfectly, and that Riaz will never be that partner for her even as she's scared of the vulnerability of such a bond.

Riaz says they both know a relationship between them won't work and they're merely pretending because it's easier and safer. He admits that he found his mate, but she's already happily married to a good man. He wasn't playing games with Indigo and she understands why he'd turn to a packmate and friend for any kind of hope. He guesses that Drew's the one she's really interested in. She confesses how Drew has her all tied up in knots and Riaz tells her that she already knows what he has to say to that.

Indigo asks Riaz to take her home so she can stop running.

Chapter 21[]

Back at the den, Indigo goes looking for Drew only to be told that he'd headed out of the den a few hours ago. From there, she tracks down Hawke, who tells her that she's wasting her time by repeating the same argument that the proper relationships for dominant females is always with an equally or more dominant male. She needs to go find Drew and sort things out. She brings up her aunt, Adria Morgan, and he points out that she's not Adria, which reminds her that Drew isn't like her aunt's partner, Martin, and would never treat her the way Martin does Adria. Finally, Indigo admits that she thinks she really screwed things up and he agrees with her, but she can still catch up to Drew if she leaves now. Drew won't be welcoming, but she's not the type to give up.

Judd catches Indigo as she's tracking Drew and tells her which direction he went. She asks why he's helping her and he tells her because he was once just like her. On the surface, the comparison seems absurd until she starts analyzing it, but running through the woods at night isn't the best time for deep introspection.

Finally, she finds Drew in a pool of snowmelt and goes to join him.

Chapter 22[]

Drew's both attracted to and furious with Indigo, assuming she's only there to make sure he's ok like one of her trainees. He leaves her in the pool, but also leaves her a towel and his t-shirt. Back at his little camp, he's already put her dirty clothes into her backpack, leaving her sleeping bag packed. He's stretched out on top of his own sleeping bag and doing his best to ignore her, until she straddles his hips, but he refuses to be a booby prize.

Indigo kisses him and tells him she isn't playing games, that she's willing to try it's just that she's afraid of hurting him since she doesn't know if her wolf will accept him. She doesn't want to make any promises she can't keep. Drew tells her that he can take care of himself, but she needs to be sure first since he only let her walk away with Riaz because he thought the other male made her happy. He's not noble enough to let that happen a second time and will fight anyone else who thinks to get her attention. It's her turn to tell him that she can take care of herself and if she wants to walk away, she'll fight her own battles, not a man doing it for her.

Some more kissing and petting and Drew tells Indigo to run, his wolf wanting out to play. She runs through the woods, using multiple tricks to mess up her scent trail, but he outwits her and catches her a couple of times, letting her run again so they can play some more.

Chapter 23[]

After spending the night together, Indigo discovers Drew is not a morning person.

Chapter 24[]

In the light of day, Indigo reverts to overthinking things, but Drew was expecting that and distracts her for a bit to get her out of her own head. Later, she realizes it was his way of caring for her, but in a subtle way since she'd never have allowed him to if he was overt about it. She asks him how he can do things like that, expressing the instincts of a dominant predatory changeling male while seeming harmless, and he admits it was partly subconscious when he was younger. As a tracker and a wolf, he needs to be a full member of the pack and he couldn't have that if people were afraid of him, so he learned to appear harmless. Despite the burden of such a responsibility, he's at peace with his role and Indigo starts to see how deep he is beneath the charming surface, truly coming to see him.

Their play is interrupted by the scent of Psy.

Chapter 25[]

Shifting to their wolves, Drew and Indigo spy up on the Psy, who apparently buried something in the ground before getting teleported out. Once he's gone, they find a metal ball almost identical to the one Silva had found, only this one is still operational. They fill the hole back in, in case the Psy return. Since she's faster, Drew tells her she should run to the den to get techs up there to find out what's going on.

Indigo reports to Hawke who sends Brenna and asks Dorian Christensen, who'd brought up something his mate wanted Brenna to look at. If it comes down to it, Ashaya Aleine might be able to help with the Psy tech.

Chapter 26[]

Brenna and Dorian are pretty sure that the balls are short range locator beacons with a 2-3 month battery life. They use that knowledge to help narrow down the area they'll have to search with scanners.

Indigo splits them into pairs, going with Dorian herself to Drew's consternation. Brenna asks Drew if he's sure he can handle being with a woman who not only doesn't need protection, but sees it as an insult. He admits that he's jealous even though his feelings are completely illogical since Dorian's already mated.

Picking up on things between Indigo and Drew, Dorian tells her that she can run, but sooner or later she'll run out of places to run to. Leaving him to scout for evidence of more digging since Dorian's a sentinel who can take care of himself and scan at the same time, she tries to convince herself that Dorian doesn't know what he's talking about. She finds a probable spot and Dorian confirms it, finding another device.

Regrouping, they agree that the devices can't be taken back to the den and Brenna says she can deactivate them there, but Drew thinks they should wait on that.

Chapter 27[]

If two are shut off, the Psy might investigate why and Drew proposes a joint-pack effort to gather them all first. Hawke suspects it's the Council, but Judd's informed him that the Council is no longer functional as a unit so it could be any one of them as individuals.

That night Andrew meets with Max Shannon and tells him that they found ten of the devices on the northern edge of SnowDancer territory. No more have been found along the other sides, but it is a large area and the widgets are small. The isolated sections have increased security as a precaution, against who, they don't know for certain but Drew has a few theories. Max assures him it's not Nikita because if she'd had someone capable of that type of operation then she'd never have hired him as her security chief in the first place and she'd given him access to enough confidential information that he doubts it's a double cross. DarkRiver had confirmed that Anthony wasn't behind it, which Hawke had taken at their word without double-confirmation, a sign of how deep the alliance between the two packs has grown.

Drew asks about Nikita's reaction and Max says something else has her preoccupied, which Drew wants him to elaborate on, but Max is loyal as long as Nikita holds to their agreement. What that agreement is, Drew doesn't know, but he could guess. He asks if that preoccupation is the deaths of Psy in the city. Max says there are four deaths from psychic attack, all low-Gradient Psy. Since there's nothing about it on the media, Drew asks if Max is covering for Nikita by keeping it hushed up. Insulted, Max says it's not a cover-up, but Enforcement, for once, isn't full of leaks. The murders might be related to the fractured Council or maybe even the racist emails talking about Purity. Max's gut says Henry Scott's behind it all somehow. Drew says that Gloria was erased. Max says that, that was done without his knowledge and he's ensured that the other sties are following proper forensic procedure. Whoever had given the erasure order wouldn't be making that mistake again, which says something about the power Nikita trusts him with.

When Sophia texts Max, Drew's mood sours because Indigo was mad at him. He asks if he's ever made Sophia angry; of course, but making up is the fun part.

While soaking in a bath, Indigo had, had news that more Psy are turning up dead along the state borders and left in public areas, but is interrupted by Drew walking into her bathroom and letting her know that, that they might be the Council's collateral damage.

In revenge for her frustration, Indigo tortures him by continuing to bathe. Drew crowds her and reminds her that he's a dominant male and she needs to learn how to deal with that. Pissed, she says that she's used to them, but he says that's a load of bull because she's never trusted anyone else close enough to where she actually had to deal with that aspect. When she asks what makes him think he's any different, he climbs into the tub with her, fully clothed.

Chapter 28[]

Judd calls the Ghost to ask how bad the Council's disintegration is. It's bad. The Scotts want to take out Nikita for her statements and actions against Silence. Judd reminds him that he can't kill all the Councilors and points out that the degeneration of the PsyNet could be affecting him, but the Ghost claims to be sane. Sane or not, he is logical, so Judd reminds him that without a new system in place, the Council's collapse would destabilize the Net and kill hundreds of thousands of innocents. The Ghost asks if he thinks he has a conscience to be swayed by that, but Judd's determined to not let his friend go to the Dark Side and says that there must be at least one person the Ghost doesn't want to die. If there is, then he should consider that person every time he makes a decision. The Ghost says he'll consider for now.

Chapter 29[]

The next morning, Indigo thinks about what Drew had said at some point during the night, about how they're both learning to deal with each other. If he's learning to deal with her stubbornness and tendency to shut him out, then she can learn to deal with a tracker who isn't a pushover. She asks herself if it's submission when your partner is learning to bend, too.

Lucas calls Hawke to tell him that DarkRiver got the same email and some of the juveniles had been approached online. Hawke asks after the kids and Lucas tells him that they're just insulted, but Dorian's keeping an eye on things online in case they try again.

Needing to go for a run as a wolf, Hawke runs into Sienna almost immediately and they walk in silence together.

Indigo now carries Drew's scent and he's feeling good since that means her wolf's starting to get past its uncertainty towards him and she's become just as possessive. The pack's nosy, as was to be expected, especially with them all on high alert. Several women give him advice because they love her and know how hard she works and he makes her happy.

The next step, Indigo invites Drew to dinner with her parents, aunt Adria, and her aunt's partner, Martin. Adria's closer to Indigo's age than her own sister, Tarah. It doesn't take long for Drew to see that Tarah's also much more like her aunt than her mother, nor to see that the relationship between Adria and Martin is full of contention. Adria's cool towards Drew and starts grilling him.

Subtle signs show that Martin's pissed with Adria, like refusing her touch, and she puts up walls to protect herself from his passive aggression. Drew realizes that Adria's the more dominant of the two of them.

Chapter 30[]

Andrew's starting to see exactly what he has to work against, since that toxic relationship has been Indigo's sole model of relationships between more dominant women and less dominant men.

Then Abel arrives and it's his turn to have a little chat with Drew. He's blunt and tells Drew that Indigo knows what she wants and will choose who she wants. He's also been asking around about him and learned that women like him. Drew says Indigo's the only woman he wants. To his surprise, Abel can tell and says Drew looks at Indigo the same way he looks at his mate, Tarah. Then he says that if he hurts his daughter, Abel will break every bone in his body twice.

Drew quietly asks Tarah about Adria and Martin's relationship and she tells him that Martin's never been able to accept Adria's strength. They both love each other and yet he hurts her every time he makes that clear.

Chapter 31[]

Henry knows his devices have been found. They were meant to give a tactical advantage in an upcoming operation, but at least the other technology he's planted hasn't been found.

Chapter 32[]

Hawke tells Drew there are four possibilities behind the devices: locator beacons for aircraft or teleporters, to test SnowDancer's response time, or markers for explosives. If there was a rock slide in the area they were found in, it would cut off a chunk of the territory, allowing a base for an invasion force within a shorter distance to the den than otherwise. Or they could simply be a distraction.

Drew tells him that Teijan reports a steady stream of Psy slipping quietly into San Francisco. They're not necessarily a sign of trouble, it seems that word's gotten out that Nikita's tolerant of the non-Silent. According to Max Shannon, they're just looking for sanctuary, which means the deaths are likely part of the Council's civil war. Local turmoil between the races would undermine Nikita. The local Cherry Blossom Festival is happening and a potential hotspot for trouble. DarkRiver can gather intel more easily than SnowDancer due to their longer, friendlier relationships in the city, but Hawke still wants Drew there, too.

Drew talks Indigo into going with him and, annoyed at the interruption in her usual duties, asks why he didn't take one of his harem, the many previous lovers he's had, instead. He hadn't because she'd have taken that rather poorly and kicked him out of her bed when he really likes her mattress. Walking the festival, Drew gathers information in his subtle ways, which is something Indigo's never witnessed before and notes he's very good at it.

They grab drinks with the DarkRiver soldier Emmett Schaeffer and his mate, Ria Wembley. They pass along rumours about Purity that her family in Chinatown's been hearing and everyone who's heard them are disturbed by the idea of it. Drew congratulates Ria on her pregnancy and she tells them that when Lucas realized she, as his executive assistant, was expecting, he yelled at her and asked what he's supposed to do when she goes on maternity leave? Then he ordered her to put her feet up and wouldn't even let her pick up a stapler until she threatened to hit him with it. Naturally, as her mate, Emmett's even worse.

Chapter 33[]

Back at the den, Indigo runs into one of the kids from the camp-out, Brace, who's just run in frantic because Silvia fell down a cliff. She gets through his panic to get the information she needs before ordering him to find Lara and bring her to the site. She calls Drew, Sing-Liu, and Tai to help and they grab climbing and the appropriate rescue gear.

Once there, they find Silvia's about 100' down on a ledge and she doesn't look good. Since the cliff face is practically sheer, someone will have to rappel down, using a nearby tree as anchor and a backup belay line. Indigo wants to go down, but Drew points out how dangerous the climb is and that he has more climbing experience. She thinks it makes more sense for her to go because she's lighter and therefore easier to lift out in case of trouble. Drew says that, that won't matter since either way there will be a team of three pulling them out and he has more medical training than she does and better able to stabilize Silvia if necessary. Indigo had forgotten that and starts to agree until he says they shouldn't waste time arguing and tells Sing-Liu to give him the harness. She growls at him, reminding him that she's the lieutenant and the one to give the orders. Drew gets in her face and reminds her that he's a senior pack member and she shouldn't ignore his input just because he's less dominant. Not wanting to have this out in front of packmates, she shoves the climbing harness at him. And, unable to keep his mouth shut, he digs himself in deeper by muttering that if she wasn't sleeping with him, she'd have listened from the start, but she thinks she has something to prove.

Hawke shows up right then, telling Drew to check his harness and Indigo to cool off. Brace and Lara are also there in time to witness Indigo's slap down from the alpha.

Drew gets to Silvia and reports a broken leg and ribs, severe bruising, and a gash on the back of her head. She's unconscious, but breathing. There's too great a possibility of causing further injury, such as to the spine, by moving her so Drew comes back up to guide Lara down to the ledge. She heals the girl enough to bring her up safely.

Afterwards, Indigo's nowhere to be seen and Hawke says he thought he was good with women. And since Drew can't see where he screwed up, Hawke tells him to cool off enough to think rationally again. But he doesn't, he says she was taking too long to make a choice. Hawke says that, that took her all of 15 seconds and it is her job, after all, to consider all the options. If she hadn't acted to calmly, they wouldn't have headed out with all of the gear and personnel needed. Drew could have achieved the same goal if he'd done it the right way. Drew says he won't play games like that and that he's told her she needs to deal with who he is. And yet he hasn't learned to do the same, Hawke says.

Then it finally dawns on Drew that he overrode her in front of the others and pissed her off enough to force Hawke to pull rank on her, which no doubt damaged her incredible pride. Hawke says he should've pulled her aside and discussed his skills that made him the better choice. She was still reasonable even after his tempter tantrum, but he kept pushing until she lost the control that was so integral to her. Indigo isn't going to easily forgive him and Hawke doesn't blame her; if anyone else had tried that with him and blood would have been spilled. Drew knew how much courage Indigo had, had to have given him a chance and he still messed it up.

Indigo's feeling hurt and humiliated. Logically, she knows that no one there at the cliff side would think any less of her for losing her temper, but she's still feeling the sting of public rebuked from the alpha. She feels betrayed before determining that she'll apologize to Hawke and carry on with her life as before, her relationship with Drew will only be professional.

Drew, looking vulnerable, knocks at her door and asks her what he should do. She's coldly professional and apologizes for losing her temper since it was neither the time nor the place. He asks her not to shut him out, he messed up and he's sorry. She's tempted to let him in, but what he did was a dominance challenge and he couldn't help it. It'll just keep happening and she can't let it. He asks her if she's just going to give up and not even try. What does he think she's been doing the whole time?

Chapter 34[]

Drew accuses Indigo of choosing the easy way out, she sees it as choosing the good of the pack. If she knows predatory changeling men so well, then she knows what he intends to do next. Assuming he means to kiss her, she threatens him if he touches her, but he just smiles and walks away.

Drew has zero interest in climbing the hierarchy, he feels he's right where he's meant to be. He'd lost his temper was all and she has a right to be hurt and angry. Since Indigo doesn't fight like most dominant women with their men, she goes silent and rigidly controlled so he plans to make it impossible to ignore him.

First, he leaves a red rose in her locker, which she thinks is meant to soothe her into forgiving him. After the training session, she finds it stuffed full of red roses. Sing-Liu, who'd witnessed the scene between Indigo and Andrew, agrees that Drew was an ass, but at least he was creative. Then her room is covered in chocolate kisses and there's something special in her closet. The next day there were champagne soaked strawberries in her office, passion fruit white chocolate cheesecake in her fridge, and crystallized fruit in her jacket pocket. More and more chocolate kisses. She doesn't actually spot him, but she can scent him everywhere. She's missing him and starts to look for the kisses.

Lara, Tomás, Yuki, and Garnet Sheridan plead Drew's case to Indigo, but she doesn't believe he's actually upset and just charmed them as a ploy.

Then she finds a wolf plushie with silver fur and blue eyes and an invitation to Andrew's going away party at a fancy restaurant. She thinks this is a ploy, too, since he's not one to give up. Or maybe she doesn't want to believe it because his leaving would mean things were truly over between them; either way, they need to have it out.

Chapter 35[]

While talking to his sister, Brenna, word gets back to Drew that Indigo took the stuffed animal and invitation. He's glad because he hates the ice thing she does and Brenna agrees, but Judd can't get away with it now that they're mated. He asks how and she refuses to give details to her brother; said brother who stole Indigo's phone and set her ringtone to a recording of him howling her name.

Things are stable for SnowDancer and no more signs of Psy trespassing so the pack will be all right if Drew and Indigo take a little time to themselves. Hawke warns him that he wants his "calm, collected lieutenant" back by the end of the week or he's shipping Drew off to Siberia, he says it's a nice time of year in Siberia.

Indigo dolls herself up in revenge for the pressure from packmates to forgive him even though she keeps insisting that it's for the good of the pack. The only one in the private room is Drew in a tuxedo and he tells her it's a party of two. Over dinner, he tells her that he's leaving for a strong, but smaller pack in North Dakota called WinterFire. She doesn't believe it since he'd be bored in a smaller pack, but he says he's serious. She protests that SnowDancer can't afford to lose him, but he has an agreement that he can still assist SnowDancer.

Drew tells her that he sees there are two things keeping them apart: their relationship is bad for the pack so she won't have to deal with his odd place in the hierarchy. If he's gone, then things can go back to black and white for her. She's scared of truly losing him.

The second thing coming between them is her stubbornness. She argues that he's the one who can't accept that they're over and he pushes back, asking what she really wants. She says he's not leaving SnowDancer, but he tells her it's not her choice.

Chapter 36[]

Indigo says Drew is a stubborn fool, but she can't stop adoring him so he's not leaving and if he does, then they're done for good. He's glad because he hates North Dakota and she's aghast that he played her. He says no, just hoped that she wouldn't let him go.

They kiss and make up.

Chapter 37[]

Drew apologizes and says he shouldn't have gone at her like that in front of others and promises not to do it again. Indigo apologizes too for reducing them to their places in the hierarchy, which had allowed her to maintain her distance.

The next day, they both want to check on Silvia, who's conscious and recovering well with no expectation of long-term injuries. Indigo warns Drew that Riaz will be helping her with a class and he says he'll make sure he's elsewhere at that time, which surprises her. He says he won't always be completely rational, but he'll try. He also plans to rework some things so he can be back in the main den more often.

Drew meets with Hawke who wants him to be the liaison to the WindHaven wing since their wing leader, Adam Garrett, likes Drew and the lieutenants all have pretty full plates already. Although Drew could be a lieutenant, he's not interested because then he wouldn't be seen as approachable by the weakest and least confident packmates.

Although no more devices have been found, Judd reports that there are rumours Henry still wants SnowDancer land as a staging post to take over the city; they’d be protected and use teleport-capable telekinetics to move people and equipment for surgical strikes. He wants Drew to start sitting in on lieutenant meetings as he’s in charge of intel.

Hawke relays information from Judd that Pure Psy’s taken over a remote mountain village as a central gathering point for equipment and training grounds. If they leave the site in place, Judd can monitor them and hopefully get warning before moving against San Francisco.

Matthias surprises Indigo by showing up at the den and she greets him with an enthusiastic tackle hug and kiss. Teasing, he says he’s been hearing rumours about her and Drew so he thought he should come over and make sure she hadn’t forgotten to whom she belonged. Unfortunately, Drew overhears this and actually tackles Matthias.

Chapter 38[]

The men go at it for a bit until Indigo manages to break them up and she orders Matthias to leave. He starts to argue, but, seeing something she doesn’t, he apologizes to Drew and explains he was only kidding, which he wouldn’t have if he’d known. As he walks away, Indigo starts to question him, but Drew hauls her back and warns her against talking to Matthias.

At first Indigo wants to snarl at Drew, yet she knows that Drew’s usually better with his temper and normally smarter than to attack a bigger, stronger opponent without strategizing better than a full-frontal assault. Reason’s checked out of Drew’s head and he turns ferally possessive, biting the curve of her neck. When he’s somewhat himself again, he’s dismayed to find he hurt her even though she’s done much the same to him because, he says, “a male doesn’t hurt his mate.”

Just as shocked as she is, Drew says they’re in the mating dance, but Indigo’s also a little panicked that her wolf won’t accept the mating. He’d felt it kick it in and went to find her, which was when he heard Matthias’ teasing and the way his scent had mixed with Indigo had him seeing red. Drew’s relieved that Indigo hasn’t pulled away from him for fear of being that vulnerable, instead, her wolf throws him a challenge.

The next day Drew’s still beating himself up over the bite mark, but Indigo’s pleased and doesn’t bother hiding it. Packmates stare instead of the usual teasing and rants to Hawke about it. He cuts her off and notes that the bite was very precise and indicates no struggling, which means something since she allowed it and the pack knows that. Just as long as they don’t hassle Drew about it.

Hawke tells Indigo she should be worrying more about how he plans to win the mating dance as Drew can handle himself. She tells him he should worry about his touch hunger because otherwise it will start to affect the pack. He kicks her out, but before leaving, she tells him “she hasn’t slept with him, you know” and not to leave it too late or else he’ll lose her.

Chapter 39[]

Anthony and Nikita are concerned about the growing size of Pure Psy’s army, swelled by those upset by the issues in the PsyNet. Support in the city for Nikita is strong after the murders and her own whisper campaign that Henry sees everyone but the rare perfectly Silent Psy as dispensable. Since neither of them are particularly martially inclined, they’ll only ask Kaleb Krychek for assistance as a last ditch effort for fear he’ll take control of their region himself.

Chapter 40[]

Judd’s latest intel on Pure Psy says that there’s still a piece of equipment on SnowDancer land that they’re certain will give them an assured victory. Hawke prioritizes a thorough search. Indigo and Riaz consider where to move the search as they're still coming up empty-handed. It's only Andrew who thinks to look up in the trees and not just down at the ground. Indigo will make sure the techs start checking the trees while Drew calls on DarkRiver for help since cats are better at climbing than wolves. Even though that means leaving Indigo with Riaz, Drew does as she asks.

Riaz comments on how strong Drew's control must be to not allow the mating dance to interfere with a perfectly reasonable situation. Indigo agrees and knows that Drew had only done it because he'd promised to never again do anything that might lead someone to question her rank. Understanding the compulsion of the mating dance now, Indigo's staggered that he'd remembered his promise.

Grey Smith is the first to find a well camouflaged camera on a branch. The leopards find 15 more and a signal booster, which means Pure Psy's probably learned their security rotations in preparation for a massive offense.

That night, Indigo thanks Drew for getting the cats and wants him to call her on it if she's ever talking out of her ass. He promises to never let things slide, but any arguments over pack issues will be in private. She now knows he'd never fail to back her up if needed, would rather bite his own tongue bloody than diminish her in public. He would never be like Martin.

Indigo finds a ragged old teddy bear that's been mended in places and Drew immediately puts up his own walls.

Chapter 41[]

Indigo apologizes and Andrew assures her he's fine, he just wasn't ready. She goes to tuck the stuffed animal into the drawer again and Drew tells her that Platypus is probably tired of being in there. His mom gave Platty to him and sometimes he thinks he can smell her perfume if he tries hard enough. As a teenager, he hid Platypus in the cupboard, but would take him out and night sometimes and talk to him. It made him feel like he was with his mom again. Indigo suggests putting Platypus in a place of honour atop the dresser.

Their foster parents were great, having raised their own kids, they understood what they needed and that they couldn’t replace their parents. The three siblings loved their foster parents for giving them a home, but they bonded most with each other, Brenna and Drew looking instinctively to Riley as the oldest for guidance.

They’re on the verge of mating, Indigo’s remaining reservation over the depth of vulnerability that requires. He continues to shower her with chocolate kisses and ambushes her with actual kisses. Tai asks Drew to teach him his ways because from the way Indigo’s smiling, he knows what he’s doing. Drew points out that she hasn’t yet accepted the mating, and Tai reminds him that female wolves like to make their men work for it and Indigo’s having too much fun playing with Drew.

The next day, only one more camera was found, but they’re so tiny and well-disguised.

The next night, Andrew finds Platypus is sporting a new eye patch embroidered with a skull and crossbones. He’s a little worried the mating isn’t completed yet, but he knows she isn’t withdrawing from him, rather actively participating in the mating dance.

Chapter 42[]

Henry’s timeline on the SnowDancer attack’s moved up because of how quickly the wolves are clearing his equipment. He plans to move tomorrow, which involves two assassinations.

Chapter 43[]

Indigo talks to the boy who was on the edge of going rogue, Joshua, and he says he’s been doing better. Afterwards, Mercy Smith finds her, having just returned with Riley from South America. Mercy asks her about Drew and Indigo admits that she’s scared because Mercy understands how scary mating is. She cautiously informs Indigo that, according to Riley, Drew’s gained in strength and dominance every year since reaching adulthood and shows no signs of stopping. Indigo had sort of been aware of that in the back of her head, but hadn’t really thought about it, which means he could end up more dominant than her. After momentary shock, she’s confident they will learn and grow together, figuring out their own balance.

Still, Indigo’s excited and terrified of how everything will change. Mercy agrees and says that it’s totally worth it.

The next day, there are signs of Psy incursion – equipment and the scent of explosives - in an area where the SnowDancer teams are not currently searching. Due to the terrain, it will be faster for a team to head out from the den rather than having the soldiers in the field head to that area.

Hawke wants to take a team out, but Indigo and Drew both think it’s a trap. Pure Psy probably chose that spot because they still have cameras there and can confirm if Hawke’s part of the team before attacking. Since Hawke can’t remain behind safe while his people go into danger, Indigo, Drew, D’Arn, Riaz, and six other soldiers – as well as the three already in the area who reported the activity - will head out and Riley will organize a team to guard the den. Judd’s currently out of commission from his last spy mission on Pure Psy, which is just as well since they can’t risk exposing the Lauren family. Riley’s already ensured that Mercy knows to warn DarkRiver that the city might be a target, too.

As soon as the team approaches, Pure Psy open fire on them.

Chapter 44[]

While the SnowDancer sharpshooters engage the Psy, the rest of the wolves circle around the attackers in the growing shadows of early evening. Shifting to wolf form, Drew takes out one and notices that they’re incredibly focused on Hawke, even to their own detriment. They’re also attacking telepathically, which starts to wear on the wolves. One in particular seems to be visually focusing on Hawke, but only shooting to give himself cover.

Realizing the enemy’s sending a visual lock for a teleporter, Drew moves just in time to catch the bullet in his gut. Hawke goes down under Drew and rolls to a covered position behind a tree where he puts pressure on the wound, begging Dew to hold on otherwise Indigo will skin Hawke.

The rest of the wolves take care of the remaining Psy, Hawke managing to take out two with a gun while keeping pressure on Drew’s wound with one knee.

Since Judd’s unconscious after his recent mission, they need to get Drew to Lara. Hawke tells Indigo to hold Drew here and she immediately opens herself to the mating bond, holding him to life through the bond. Riaz, in turn, helps support her as they head back to the den, Indigo feeding energy to Drew.

Lara meets them outside and starts working on him as Indigo passes out, continuing to hold him even while unconscious. She stabilizes Drew, but the shards of the bullet ripped through most of his major organs. Lara and Lucy work on Drew until the wee hours of the morning, having gotten the major damage. Indigo’s awake now and Lara tells her not to let Drew shift, to stay as a wolf for now.

Chapter 45[]

The Scotts are disappointed with the failed attempts on the lives of Lucas and Hawke. Shoshanna had wanted to go after Hawke when he was in the city, but the long-term plan meant taking the city quickly and cleanly, which wouldn’t have been possible if they were on alert after a high-profile assassination. The plot against Lucas failed because he’s not often in the city lately.

As it is, the city will be on high-alert now and Henry decides on war in two months’ time.

Chapter 46[]

Two days after the shooting, Lara and Hawke joined forces to coerce Indigo into taking a break from Drew’s bedside. She talks with her dad, Abel, worrying that if she’d accepted the bond earlier, things would have gone differently, but her father points out that she’s doing all a mate can in her situation. She’d been so afraid of loving someone so much and then losing them and it’s like her worst nightmare come to life.

While Indigo’s away, Hawke sits with Drew and wanting revenge against Henry for hurting Drew, who’s stable but no change otherwise. Judd’s helped with the microscopic damage he could find once he recovered. Sienna comes in to sit with Drew and looks to Hawke for reassurance, but instead of holding her like he wants to, like any other packmate, he doesn’t.

Worried that some devices remain, Hawke asks Lucas if he knows anyone who can help make sure the place is clear. The volunteer is Devraj Santos, the director of the Shine Foundation, who gets a favour in turn for his assistance. He asks for help making people disappear when the Council gets too interested in them.

Chapter 47[]

Drew's still unconscious, but spontaneously shifted back to human, which they're all taking as a good sign even if everyone's still worried. Lara has to force Indigo to eat. When he wakes up not long after, she crawls onto the bed beside him and buries her face in his neck, crying. He orders everyone out to protect her pride and reassure her that he's ok. After she scolds him for getting hurt, he falls asleep tangled with her and she follows suit.

Anthony, Nikita, Hawke, Lucas, and Sascha meet to discuss the threat to their region and Nikita announces she no longer supports Silence.

Chapter 48[]

Nikita sees the crumbling of Silence and while unwilling to continue with a sunk cost fallacy, she says it can't fall all at once, either.

They consider all possibilities and assess the threat of what they're facing, debating strategies. Anthony tells them that every strong NightStar F-Psy has made a spontaneous prediction in the past month of blood, death, and fire with no alternate futures.

Drew and Indigo reconfigure their schedules and work so they won't have to be separated for long stretches. He asks if she regrets mating him since she was practically forced into it. The only thing she regrets is not completing the mating dance the way she'd originally intended.