Council Leader Vorik scanned the group. His eyes lingered on Sasha, then Kyle. "We have an issue. Your leader, Travis Nichols, is planning to attack the dome again. Second, there are spies in the dome that will kill all of you for surviving the battle." Then he looked at Hope. "No one can know that you are his sister. If the spies find out, it will get back to your brother. We have reason to believe that he will kill anyone to get his hands on you. Not only that, but there is also a reason to believe he will have his spies kill you because you are mated to one of us."

Hope turned pale and slowly collapsed into a chair. Seeran moved toward her, staying between her and Dan. He didn't like the close relationship she had with the human man. It wasn't intimate; it was more familiar, but he still didn't like it.

Hope looked up and peered around Seeran so that she could see Dan. "My brother would really have me killed?" she asked. There was a quiver to her voice. Unshed tears pooled in her eyes.

"Travis has changed. More than I'd like to admit, and he's changed for the worse. He's doing things that would be considered out of character for him before the invasion." Dan told her. "He's probably going to have his spies kill me for running from them. He goes after all those who leave his group willingly. After he served his deranged stew, I left. He won't like that. He will have me killed for it, I'm sure of it. Travis will most likely have them kill you if he finds out you're here and mated. He will see it as you being defiled by the enemy. He won't care that you're his sister."

Council Leader Vorik, along with everyone else in the room, watched as Dan explained to his best friend's little sister that her own brother would have her killed for being mated. She took it well. The only evidence of her being upset was the paleness of her skin and the single tear running down her cheek.

When Dan was finished explaining everything to Hope, the room went silent. No one wanted to make a sound, letting Hope digest everything that she had just heard. It was shocking and devastating information. Hope sat in her chair, looking at the floor, as if frozen, not sure what to say or do. Her mind was trying desperately to process this new information. Some of the information wasn't surprising. Her brother was not the kindest person. He could be considered evil, in fact. It was the part about him wanting her dead that was bothering her.

Sasha's voice interrupted the sudden silence. "Dan's right," she agreed. "He doesn't care about anything except what he wants. I was planning on running from him as soon as the battle was over. I refused to be forced into sex to breed for anyone and everyone who wanted their way with me. His plan to repopulate the human race is deranged. He's a tyrant. He doesn't care who it hurts, whether it's innocent bystanders, regardless of their age, family, or friends. As long as he gets what he wants, he doesn't care."

Medic Kaul spoke for the first time. "Perhaps Seeran and Hope should be sent to the mother ship. He can't get them up there unless he has a ship. I know he doesn't; humans don't have them. Hope is too fragile right now. Her presence could make the situation worse if he finds out about her. His spies would have already spoken about the others. Unless someone who shouldn't have seen Dan and Hope's reunion saw them, then she is not in danger yet." Kaul was worried about something happening to Hope. In his mind, she was the key to curing the zombies and making everyone immune. He needed her alive and well. She had to be protected at all costs.

Council Leader Vorik looked around the room, waiting for anyone else to give their input. No one did, so he looked at Seeran. "You are her mate. You must decide what is best for her. If you choose to take her to the mother ship, then you are free to go with her."

Seeran, knowing human women didn't like to be told what to do, looked at Hope. "What do you wish to do? Do you wish to stay here, inside the dome, or go to the mothership?" he asked her. "If you come to the ship with me, I will know you will be safe. On the planet, you will be in danger, but if you would rather stay, I will protect you with my life."

Niki smiled and came up behind Sasha and Van. "Now, there's a man who knows what to do," she said, nodding at him in appreciation. "Never tell a woman to do something. You ask."

Just then, before she could say anything else, the door opened, and Merrick and Rask walked in. It closed behind them, then Merrick pressed a button, locking the door. "Aleigha called us here," he explained after the entire room turned to look at them.

Their gazes turned to Aleigha. "What?" She blurted. Her tone was sarcastic. "Our mates have a right to be here," she said, shaking her head.

Dan watched as the one they called Merrick walked up behind Aleigha, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her neck. She purred in response, obviously enjoying the contact. Rask did the same thing to Niki, who reached up and stroked one of his horns, making him moan in pleasure. They were both very close mated pairs.

Council Leader Vorik cleared his throat. The two couples immediately turned and faced their leader. "Sorry, Sir. You have our mates with you all the time. We needed the contact." Merrick stated, looking sheepish.

Council Leader Vorik shook his head, a slight smile on his face, and then scanned the room. They still needed to come up with a plan that would protect all the mated pairs as well as those who had arrived in the dome due to the battle. They also needed to find out who the spy was inside the dome and if he was the only one. They had a lot of work to do to find them.

"We need a plan to protect those in the dome. We know there are spies. We do not know how many or who they are. Hope's brother, Travis, is the leader. He did not allow anyone to know who the spies were. Not even his spies know who the other spies are," Council Leader Vorik began.

Neither Merrick nor Rask knew this information. They hadn't been in the meeting when it was first discussed. They both looked at Hope and then back at Vorik. "Would he stop his attacks if he knew she was here, inside the dome?" It was Merrick who spoke.

"We have reason to believe that either he will try to kidnap her and lock her in a tunnel prison to be forcibly violated, or he will have her killed, believing her mate defiled her," Vorik explained. "Her brother is intent on chaining all the remaining human females in a tunnel that he has mounted chains in the walls to hold them. He intends to allow anyone to violate them whether they want it or not, for the sole purpose of repopulating the human race."

Dan noted that both Merrick and Rask held their mates tighter. Looking over at Hope, he noticed that Seeran did the same. They were very protective of their mates and would do anything to keep them safe.

"So, what do you suggest we do?" Merrick asked, scanning the entire group. "I suggest we send all human females to the mother ship. If they have a mate, I suggest they go with them. I know I do not wish to be away from my mate. Neither will anyone else."

Aleigha spoke up. "I don't think it should be just us. What I mean by that is not just human female mates. What about Carrie and Shadick? Carrie won't want to be separated from her twin brother, which means he and his mate Shelia should go as well. I think all mated pairs should go if one-half of the mated pair is human." Then she looked at Rai and Kyle, then at Van and Sasha. "Even them," she said, waving her hand in their direction.

Vorik looked at Aleigha, one eyebrow raised. "And if some do not wish to go to the ship for their safety?"

Aleigha shrugged. "Give them the information. Let them make an educated decision. Let them know it's only until the threat is no longer there and that it's temporary. If they still wish to stay, then their life is in their own hands. You can't protect someone who doesn't want to be protected. You can do what you can while they're here, but it's not guaranteed safety for them if they choose to stay. They need to know that."

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