Zebadiah LaCroy refused to flinch under his captain’s steely gaze. He knew the regulations as well as anyone and he knew what he was asking. He also knew that exceptions were made every day. He pressed his new bride closer to his side to stop her from squirming. 

“She won’t be any trouble, sir. She understands that she has to stay in my cabin, unless I’m accompanying her. By the time we reach Saturn, her papers will have cleared.” 

“LaCroy, do you know what you’re doing? Once she sets foot on Earth, there’s no turning back.” 

He couldn’t turn back no matter where his feet were planted. . He had bonded to Semele, and she to him. They were one in ways a simple marriage could never achieve. They would need a marriage certificate, however, for her to have full citizenship on Earth. 

“I appreciate your concern Captain, really I do. I know what I’m doing. If you would just perform the simple civil service, sir, I’ll get her settled in and then log in for duty.” 

His captain rolled his eyes. “You’re a romantic, aren’t you, LaCroy. I think we can give you a day or two for a honeymoon. Stowe your gear and report to my cabin in five minutes. It will be short and sweet, but it will be legal.” 

Semele tugged at his sleeve. The unusual words had piqued her curiosity. He knew it like he knew her left ankle hurt, and she was thirsty. 

“Thank you, sir.” Zeb turned, gathered up his mate’s one bag, wrapped an arm securely around her waist and moved her along down the corridor.  She made a grab for the bag, strengthening his conviction that it held more than met the uninitiated eye. He had a firm grip on it and her, and he wasn’t going to let go of either her or that bag until they were safely inside his quarters. She bowed her head meekly. 

Uh-huh. He was right. The bag definitely held something odd in nature. He’d been a fool not to question her more closely on the space station. He tightened his grip around her waist as he guided her along. She was just too sneaky to let go. 

“You’d better tell me now what you have in this bag.” 

She seemed to be concentrating on her little slippered feet as they peeked out from under her robe as she walked.  

“Semele. Tell me. Don’t make me have to spank you.” He sent of the image to her of her lying across his lap, bare bottom in the air. 

She stopped dead at her tracks. Her gorgeous emerald eyes narrowed to slits. “You should reconsider this action, Zebadiah.” 

“You should confess what’s in this bag.” 

“Everything I need.” 

That’s what scared him. She could, to some degree, manipulate matter. The problem was he didn’t know, for sure, what that degree was. He needed to ask the right question with just the right wording to get an honest answer. It wasn’t that she was deliberately lying, it was the quirky way she processed the English language. Talking telepathically was still new to him. He was far from mastering it, but improving fast. He’d eventually get a straight answer from her.