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went down Kres’ spine. Brice reminded him a lot of Barley. Maybe there was a law—if your name started with a B, you had to be a total asshole. Kres quickly reviewed the people he knew whose name started with B and decided it was just a fluke.
    “How did he get caught?”
    “The Thresl bit him. When he started screaming, the MPs came and discovered he was trying to steal the Thresl. It’s a felony, but his rich father will probably get him off.”
    “Probably.” Kres bitterly reflected from his own experience that that was usually the case.
    “What’s the next step in your training?” Zander asked, regarding the pair.
    “We’re supposed to bond.” He waved his book at Zander. “The commander gave me this to review.”
    “Huh.” Zander looked at the book curiously. “I wonder if there are diagrams.”
    “What are you talking about?”
    Zander gave him a wide smile, his electric blue eyes lighting up with laughter. “There’s only one way to truly bond with a Thresl.”
    Kres had a bad feeling he already knew what it was. The hand settling on his lower back reinforced the feeling. It stroked temptingly close to his ass as Zander spoke.
    “You have to have sex.” Zander looked the Thresl up and down. “Maybe a lot of sex.”
    “Crap,” Kres muttered.
    Vohne let out a low rumble behind him. Apparently converting to human hadn’t removed his ability to purr.
    Kres gave an involuntary shudder. The thought of being intimate with the gorgeous creature behind him overwhelmed his senses. What the hell had he got into? He’d gone from thinking he’d never have sex again to discovering it was a requirement for the safety of the being that had already claimed him. This entire bonding situation was taking over his life. How had he gone from a simple soldier with an eye on becoming a captain to the other half of a killing machine? A sigh passed his lips as Kres realised how truly different his future would now be.
    Vohne stroked a hand up and down Kres’ back.
    “Why don’t you join us for lunch? I was going to get a plate and sit over there.” Zander pointed to an empty table in the corner of the room.
    “Go sit. I will get you sustenance,” Vohne offered.
    “Are you sure?” Kres wasn’t certain he wanted to chance letting Vohne get his food, but the look he got said the Thresl wanted to do this for him.
    “Go.” Vohne gave him a little nudge.
    Kres shrugged and went to sit down.
    Vohne turned to the other human and glared. “I was trying to break it to him gently.”
    “That’s because you don’t know anything about that kind of human. I’ve only known Kres for a little while, but I can already tell he’s the type of person it’s best to tell everything at once. Once the shock wears off, he’ll make a plan to cope. If you give him things in bits and pieces, it gives him time to panic. He’s a soldier. He’s used to dealing with the unexpected.”
    “Hmm.” Zander did make sense. “I will take your advice and not harm you after all.” Vohne smiled, letting the human see the sharpness of his teeth. He might not have his tail anymore, but he didn’t want the other man to confuse him with a human either.
    “I understand that my human will need some friends, and it will benefit him to know someone who also has a Thresl. However, if you harm him, I will have to kill you.” He made sure his look said he wasn’t kidding. Vohne wanted Zander to know he took his responsibility seriously.
    “Um, okay.” Zander gave him a weak smile. “Will my Thresl be like you?”
    Vohne laughed. “You humans still don’t get it, do you?”
    Zander shook his head. “Don’t get what?”
    “How Thresls choose their form.”
    “No one understands that,” Zander argued.
    Vohne had to admire how Zander rallied after Vohne’s intimidation. He would be a valuable friend for his mate.
    “Thresls understand.” Vohne looked over at his human, who was watching him with a worried expression in his eyes.