“She’s mine,” Moon stated, refusing to allow them to blame his actions on side effects from the attack. “I’ve had strong feelings for Joy since we met and having her back in my life only made me realize why I’m so drawn to her.” He gazed at Justice. “She’s mine, Justice, and when she left me again it drove me to do something stupid.” He glanced around. “I’ve teased males when they found their mates. It was funny watching them go a little nuts but it’s not amusing when it happens to you. It’s humiliating that I am so hung up on a female who has rejected me not once but twice. I didn’t want anyone feeling sorry for me by asking for help. I wanted to talk her into coming back here.”

“Damn,” Harley muttered. “I apologize.”

He glanced back. “Don’t. I’m the one with a weakness.”

Justice stood, drawing his attention. The male frowned. “It’s called being in love. It’s more frightening than confronting your deepest fear and opens you to being hurt beyond the physical plane.” He placed a hand over his heart. “It might seem as though it’s a weakness to you but it is proof that we are more than numbers, experiments, or whatever else Mercile intended us to be. It takes bravery and strength to feel such strong emotions for one person when we were denied from birth the chance to ever care about anything or anyone. I’m not saying it’s easy or painless. It is probably one of the most complex things I’ve experienced. Jessie is my life. My heart beats for her and I will admit to all that I wouldn’t want to go on if I lost her.”

Justice glanced around the room before he smiled at Moon. “The unmated ones don’t understand and are currently looking confused or horrified.” He chuckled. “I’m hopeful they’ll know the ups and downs of falling in love one day. It’s a gift and a curse at times but everyone should experience it. It’s a part of life and we are survivors.”

Moon would have spoken but a lump of emotion closed his throat. He wanted to thank Justice for understanding exactly what he was going through. He suddenly didn’t feel as if he’d become a horrible example to other Species by being somehow flawed.

“It wasn’t as if we had parents to give us guidance when we fell in love or ever saw examples of it to watch and learn from.” Justice dropped his hand to his side. “I made a mess of things with Jessie at first while I tried to figure out what the hell I was doing. I had no idea how to deal with the insane jealousy and possessiveness that suddenly had me wondering if I’d lost my grasp on sanity. Her being human only made it more confusing. You should have at least spoken to one of the mated males when you realized how much you love Joy before doing something so rash as to endanger your own life. We would have gladly assigned a team to take you to her if you’d asked.”

“I’m sorry.”

Justice nodded. “I know, Moon. You’re a good male. It’s been trying lately, hasn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Bottom line, you’re healthy and safe at Homeland with your female.” He glanced at Jericho and Darkness. “Fix it so there are cameras on that new gate and make sure whoever is guarding it knows that no one is to leave that way unless it comes through proper channels first.” He turned to Fury. “Let’s hold a meeting tomorrow to figure out the best reading materials we can find to cover what to expect when falling in love and get them passed out. We need to reach out to our people so they are more aware of what is involved and develop better ways to handle it. We don’t want a bunch of males sneaking beyond the safety of our walls to seek out females.”

“I’m sorry,” Moon muttered.

“You should be,” Jericho rumbled again. His eyes narrowed, the red in them pronounced. “I don’t see any reason to take this lightly, Justice. A human male was injured by Moon. That’s going to cause us problems with the out world.”

“He shot my female,” Moon growled, his temper surging. It was one thing to know he was wrong to have left Homeland without permission but he didn’t feel an ounce of remorse over making Douglas bleed.

Jaded stepped between them. “No fighting. Jericho wasn’t implying the human didn’t deserve it. He’s only stating a fact that it drew attention to us. We’re always evolving and learning from our mistakes. I agree with Justice. This is something that needs to be dealt with because falling in love is a phenomenon that is increasing with our people. I’m not concerned about the human public getting upset because a Species beat on one of their own when it’s clear that the male was a menace to their society. They should thank Moon.”

“Phenomenon?” Slade chuckled. “I can’t wait for the right female to cross your path, Jaded. I’m going to remind you of the term you used when you’re doing irrational things in the name of love.”

“No more teasing,” Fury ordered, attempting to appear stern but failing when humor curved his lips upward. He did make a point of staring at Jericho. “Keep questioning the prisoner from Fuller about the drug trials at Mercile.”

“He doesn’t know anything that is useful to us concerning Moon. The drug given to Moon is new, something they hadn’t developed.”

“You’re sure?” Justice was grim.

“Yes.”

“Damn.” The Species leader shook his head. “These humans are good at hiding from us with their connections in other countries. I’ll bet the one who shot Moon is already back with the person who hired the mercenaries who were paid to steal Beauty. I will have Jessie make some calls to get an update from her brother. He keeps promising that the ones responsible will be found. I believe he’s getting closer to discovering their location.”