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he couldn’t afford to get in a fight with this man. He couldn’t afford to get thrown in a cell.
    “Because I know how you get and I didn’t want a big scene. Now, will you let me go!” She started to struggle against the hands holding her, her tail flicking back and forth with agitation.
    Manik had to keep himself rooted to the spot to stop from going over and dragging Ellie away from the man. Seeing his hands on her was sending his anger towards the roof. The only man who should have his hands on her was himself. No other man had the right to touch her.
    Ellie’s struggles finally made the man let her go. She stepped away from him, retreating towards where Manik stood near the Health Pod. She’d put herself right between them, a position Manik didn’t like. It put her at risk of getting hurt if things went wrong.
    “How do you know this man, Elmertia? He looks familiar for some reason—I think I’ve seen him somewhere before.”
    “I told you we’re friends. I’ve known him for a long time, before I came to the station. He visited me once before, so maybe you saw him around the station then.”
    Manik wanted to see Ellie’s face as she responded, but the tone of her voice spoke volumes. He wanted this man to leave. He wanted to be alone with Ellie and to find out if she’d lie to him as convincingly when she was in a difficult position.
    “I don’t believe you, Merty. You were protecting him. I just don’t know why, but I’m going to figure it out. There’s more to it than him just being your friend. You never let anyone in your lab but Prixmina, yet you’ve let this man in here. You even put him in your precious device. That tells me he’s far more to you than some simple friend.”
    The agitated movement of Ellie’s tail increased until it was swishing through the air.
    “Stadden, you’re making my head hurt with your suspicions. Why can’t you just believe me? All I wanted to do was avoid this exact situation with you. That’s why I put him in my device, and he’s not a simple friend. He’s a very old friend that I enjoy the company of immensely, so why wouldn’t I allow him in my lab?”
    Before the security man had a chance to respond, the door slid open and a woman of the same species as Ellie danced into the room. Everybody turned to look at her.
    “What’s happening, Merty? I thought you didn’t have time for visitors, yet your lab’s full of people,” she said in a rush.
    Manik watched the woman’s gaze travel over the security officer in a single pass and come to rest on him. Her eyes widened so much as they scanned him they almost popped out of her head. So Ellie had talked about him—the woman obviously recognised him. Manik almost purred in delight, then straightened up and looked at the security officer. The man was looking at the new woman with exasperation on his face. Manik wanted to smirk at the man, certain the pleasure he felt at knowing the women had talked about him was all over his face, but the man was looking at the two women.
    “Merty,” she breathed as she rushed forward and grabbed for Ellie’s arms. “It’s him! He came back. I told you he’d come back. Didn’t I tell you he’d come? I just knew the mate bond would bring him back to you!”
     

Chapter Six
     
     
    “Mate bond?” Stadden demanded.
    I looked around Prixy to see his angry eyes on me. My heart was in my throat as I looked back at him. I didn’t know what to say to him. He had a temper, and this was the exact situation I’d been trying to avoid.
    Stadden had been trying to convince me to get back together with him ever since I’d broken off our relationship, but I’d met Manik not long after and had put him off, wanting to be free if Manik came back to me.
    “Why didn’t you tell me you’d met your mate, Elmertia? When did you meet him? Before or after we were together?”
    There was no point in continuing with the lie now. He knew Manik was my mate. As long as I protected when