Adam sat with the other candidates, but he remained aloof from their friendly chatter. He was close to his goal, and if he played his cards right, the Gatoan Prince would fall into his trap. He smiled at the giant cat, and all conversation ground to a halt.
Adam knew antagonizing the giant cat was a risk. He raised his head and threw a challenging look at the Prince. He saw the gleam of acceptance in the Gatoan's eyes as the Prince changed course and headed in his direction.
"You!" Dex roared and charged, his razor-sharp claws out and ready to be used.
"Come to me," Adam whispered, and when the enraged Gatoan was a few feet away, Adam used his kinetic shield. He grinned and then stared in horror as the Prince charged through it.
"Not possible!" he squealed and ducked the claws aimed at his head. He heard the other men scrambling out of the way. He was on his own. He yelped and dodged another swipe of Dex's claws. He was tiring, but the giant cat didn't seem to be. Adam ran, tripped, and crashed to the floor.
He saw the Prince leap, and he shut his eyes. After a moment, he peeked and found the angry Gatoan restrained by his guards. He grinned and stood up. "I'm going to file a complaint."
"No, you're not."
Adam whirled and saw Brigadier General Maussey in the doorway. "I'm not?"
"No, because you provoked the fight. If you wish to stay, I suggest you behave. And as for you," Maussey pointed a finger in the Gatoan's direction. "One more incident, treaty or no treaty, you're out of here."
"Understood," Dex growled.
"Good. The Lieutenant has rested, and the second phase starts now. Remember, Gentlemen, the next person to cause a disruption and mess with my schedule will have their head handed to them on a platter." Maussey pointed at Dipaw. "You, come with me. You're up."
Adam sighed. Getting rid of the Gatoan Prince was turning out to be harder than anticipated. It was time to go to Plan B.
* * *
Lastbite paced the bridge of his dreadnought. His ship, along with the other nine in his fleet, had used the galactic gates to get to the Milky Way Galaxy in hours instead of days. That stupid cur, Bonebreaker, was harassing him with constant demands for updates. His Alpha would drive him mad before he even reached his destination.
"Beta Lastbite, our sensors have detected three Gatoan Explorer Class ships around Saturn. Your orders?"
He considered what to do. Engage the Gatoans or continue? The Gatoans couldn't hope to take on the dreadnoughts he had brought.
"They are no threat. Our mission is Earth and the human female. If they attempt to intercept, destroy them."
"Yes, Beta Lastbite."
"Beta, Sir, it is Alpha Bonebreaker."
Wearily, Lastbite rubbed his eyes and cursed the gods for such an impatient Alpha. "Put him on the center screen."
Bonebreaker's image filled the view. All around the bridge, wolves whimpered and dropped their heads in submission. Lastbite barely lowered his. "My Alpha. What can I do for you?"
"How close are you to the planet?"
"We will be there in six hours. It will be nighttime and easier for us to grab the female."
"Excellent. Make sure you do not fail me, Lastbite. There are always others to take your place."
"Yes, my Alpha." Lastbite waited until the screen went dark before letting out an angry howl. He would cut his strings, soon enough. For now, he had to get that girl. Their contact on Earth had better deliver the female, or death would be the least of the spy's worries. And Lastbite would be damned before he'd allow himself to be at his Alpha's mercy if things went wrong.
* * *
Elenora was disgruntled with the tests. Jewels and Jeremy looked ready to drop, but Maussey and that callous Colonel Manroe didn't care. At the moment, both men stood beside her as they stared in awe at the readings between Jewels and the Onugra Nipaw.
"It's amazing, isn't it? Look how close their sync lines are lining up. It's a near-perfect match!" Manroe crowed.
"Doctor, you said these readings only happen with the Gatoans?" Maussey demanded.
"Yes. The best readings come from the Prince and Jewels. I know that's not what you wanted to hear, but those are the facts. None of the human telepaths has even come close to matching her wavelengths."
"Which human has the closest sync factor?"
Elenora grimaced. "Adam does, but he won't be the final choice."
"Oh? And why is that?" Maussey snapped.
"He keeps trying to dominate Jewels. The pairing will never work if he's trying to control her. She is the one in charge. The anchor is actually a support position."
"That's absurd. She's not been alive long enough to be in charge. And, she's young and makes mistakes. The older person in the pair should be in charge, not some brat," Maussey argued.
Elenora shrugged. "Look, I don't make the rules or decide how it works. I just monitor the pair's health and mental synchronization. That's it."
Maussey grew thoughtful. Manroe grinned and went back to staring at the readings.
Elenora wished the Choosing was over before permanent damage was done to Jeremy.