Alien Warrior Mates IV

Scattered across two planets, the Denynso and their allies are driven to pull back together as the beginning of the war rages around them. As the group on Earth tries to escape the laboratory, Eden faces demons from her past and vows to break herself free from Ryan's torment once and for all. What they discover, though, could leave them at his mercy with nowhere to turn.

In his short time back on Earth Jacob has realized that his unlikely friendship with Jem has led him into something he could never have imagined, but that something within him is driving him to stay and join the fight. In an instant Jacob is confronted with his past and with a future that he might not ever be able to have. With the battle with the hybrids over, most of the group is recovering and working to heal the wounded, but Eden can't get the voice of the dying hybrid out of her head.

As the group copes with what they have discovered in the hidden wing of the basement, Samira and Ty uncover something that forces Jacob to come face to face with his past. Rilex struggles to come to terms with what Ryan has done, especially when he learns something about the intriguing woman who pled for Eden's help, that starts him reevaluating everything that he has thought and felt.

Bannack has been devoted to battle his entire life, but there is something that he knows is far more important to him, and he doesn't want to wait any longer. Remembering the question that he had asked when he first bonded with Loralia, he starts planning to give her the tying ceremony that she has always wanted. Even though it can't be anything that either of them ever imagined, he knows now that there is no such thing as a perfect moment, and that they truly have everything that they need.

As Jonah continues to delve into what the mysterious patient files and the pristine examination room in the abandoned medical ward might mean, his mind keeps wandering back to the woman he encountered in the hallway outside of the lab. It was only a brief encounter, but one that left a lasting impression. When he sees her again, it might have lasting influence on the work that he is trying to accomplish and the life that he may have now that he is back on Earth.

With the journey to Penthos nearly over, Rilex and newly-named Severine wake in each other's arms. Something has changed between them, but with the danger still building around them and so many more questions to answer, neither is sure they are ready to find out exactly what. As the ship prepares to land, they part to get ready, and Severine overhears a conversation that brings all of the changes that she is facing crashing around her. In an instant, she can no longer see the future that she thought she might be building, and she wonders if she can ever really get beyond her origins.

Rain, Kyven, and those of the crew that stayed aboard the ship have arrived back on Uoria and must start gathering the army and the weapons that Maxim and the others need on Penthos, but not everyone is happy at their return, or at their intention to leave again to continue the war. On Earth Jonah continues to uncover more in the files and begins to wonder if there is more to the aged hospital than they thought, leading him to head back into the laboratory building without the benefit of the rest of the group.

Jonah is still reeling from his encounter with Aubrey in the lab and the sudden way that she ran away from him, but he knows that he can't let thoughts of her distract him. There is still so much work to do, and now that he is alone again, he needs to work even harder. When Aubrey shows up again, he wonders if it is more than professional curiosity that draws her to him. Together they keep digging, discovering new details that seem to make the situation more confusing rather than bringing them closer to clarity.

Deep in the Order's lair, Ellora has found herself in the hands of a strange man who tells her that he knows something from her past. Though he can't tell her who he is or why he is there, she feels that he is the only one who can give her a chance to get out of the tunnels. She knows that she has to trust him, even if that means not knowing what he is carrying in an old cloth bag or why he insists that the future of the universe rests on him protecting it.

With the first real battle on Penthos raging around him, Azra can't get his mind off of Elise. He fears for her safety, but just as much, he fears that she will not be able to handle everything that is happening around them and that he will lose her. As the warriors fall around him, though, he knows that he has to focus on his mission there and not allow himself to let the Denynso, or any of the rest, down.