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me
there during the day when my mother was working.”
    “So now you avoid small spaces.”
    “And the dark.” She heaved a sigh. “I spent hours in the dark and you
would have thought I’d be able to conquer the fear, but it only made it more
intense. So much for being in charge of my life.”
    “Why do you need to be in control?”
    “I’m a federal agent. Fear will hinder me.”
    “Perhaps, but I am here now. I will make certain that nothing happens to
you.”
    “Men never stay.” He had to strain his ears to hear her words. “That’s
why I need to take care of myself. When we are away from these guys, I’m taking
you into headquarters.”
    “A Hunter’s bond is never broken.” Partlan’s voice cracked. “I will do
anything to protect you.”
    “Men leave as soon as they have what they want.” Agent Kelly shifted her
body. “I have the scars to prove it.”
    “They hurt you?” Partlan’s chest tightened. “Where?”
    “My scars are psychological, not physical.” She cleared her throat. “My
brother locked me in cupboards. My father left when I was seven and even though
I begged him to take me, he refused.”
    Her voice faltered and for several minutes there was silence.
    “In school, I fell in love with a football player. We made love and he
promised me forever. Instead, the guy broadcast it to his teammates and they
harassed me all through high school. I had to live with my shame until I was
old enough to move away to college.”
    “They had no honor.” His outrage filled the small space. “On my planet,
they would have been killed for such actions.”
    “They were boys.” Her tone was dismissive. “You would think I’d learn
after all of those failures, but I still believed in true love and happily ever
after. I even went so far as to get engaged.”
    “You were mated?”
    “Almost. He ran out the day of the wedding and left me with all of the
bills.”
    “So you do not believe a man can be honorable.”
    “I haven’t met one who is.” Her voice was derisive. “I’m a survivor and
it made me tough. That’s why I joined the FBI. I have a career and that’s all I
need. I take care of myself.”
    “I will never fail you.”
    “We’ll see.”
    Agent Kelly’s tone warned that it was impossible to change her mind.
Partlan sensed the pain and degradation she had suffered at the hands of men
and he wanted to take that from her. That was why he had been chosen to be pair
bonded with her. She needed a man who lived with honor and understood
commitment.
    “I do have one question.” Partlan’s tone was tentative. “I have not known
you for long, but would it be disrespectful to ask you what your name is? I
cannot continue to call you Agent Kelly.”
    She chuckled beside him. It was a low rumble that set her body moving.
“It’s Grace. I don’t want any jokes about that, though.”
    “What is funny about Grace? It is a beautiful name.”
    “Grace Kelly.” Her tone was wry. “My father picked the name and I’m
certain he did it for a joke.”
    “I do not understand.”
    “The actress who married a Prince?”
    Partlan shook his head. “I am new here.”
    She moved up on her elbow. In the darkened space, she was no more than a
shadow above him. “You honestly don’t know?”
    “No.”
    She moved back down on her side. “That’s good.” She snuggled close to him
and within a few minutes her steady breathing let him know that she had fallen
asleep.
    Grace.
    He repeated her name in his head. He like the way it sounded and how it
fit with her looks and personality. She was the most gorgeous woman he had ever
seen. Her light blonde hair and deep blue eyes were unknown on Cygnus. She was
a creature of grace and beauty.
    She understood how to command.
    She was a true warrior.
    His heart swelled with pride as he thought of how lucky he was to have
found her. She was a worthy pair bond. There was only one problem. She did not
have all the facts about the Albireons. They were