Mate No More

and orchestral music played like it belonged in a world u

the ballroom below. Beneath her borrowed silver dress, a stolen comm-link

l impact. You in

the ballroom. The code name still tasted like poison in her mouth-Ghost. Like she did

ty, her movements trained, precise. She was heading toward the west wing-the servers'

ar, if you fr

whispered, eyes

n she s

er T

er eyes and signed the bond erasure order. He stood tall, suited in black like a

d scar pulsed

ive minutes,"

d into th

tch the shimmer of silver disapp

w power. Lyra locked the door behind her a

spilled acro

nutes. Enough time for the rebel team to plant the explosive, destr

ed. Her h

ed to herself. "You don't

him a taste of what it

mer hi

wing came a

-screams, bodies rushing for

ive, sprinting tow

nded the corne

nd

owed. His eyes l

st stared, frozen,

e whispere

ucked beneath his arm, and b

ssed into her comms. "A

arms. She ripped the hem of her gown, vaulted a trash bin, and

stood still,

ars. She'd died. He'd signed

hat w

at him like he was th

ra ripped off the mask and collapsed ont

with a protein ba

t a second device. And you

aid, breathles

mid-chew.

no

d. "That

like he'd seen my ghost.

l me why the guy who erased

dn't a

er with his. "You did good, Ghost. Half the Regime's tracking

gh," she

th her collarbone, where the mate bond

pain. The cold metal. The voice that s

Zander's signat

ed that she'd be

hut. The file Cade had stolen si

: Mate Bond

: Term

s: De

n-hair tangled, blood at her tem

hat. But what he didn't kn

s blowing up R

ckled throu

l wants your report o

end me everything you h

r, Lyra stared at herse

't the same one who once b

r property. And

e was a

le, slid it into her boot. Cade le

k about... y'k

an eyebrow

uthern Sectors. Change your name. Get a fake bond with s

ughed. "You of

I've seen the way you still flinch when some

care abou

enough to r

at night, she dreamed of t

eam, Zander di

d. He let

y for every scream sh