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SAMANTHA RYAN PLACED HER HANDS on the front of her boss’s desk and said, “I want a transfer, not more of your damn excuses”

She knew that speaking to Stephan in such a manner wasn’t the best idea, especially when he was the ations Unit and the more secretive Federation—a et the answers he needed or the job done She knew that froation without theto stop the shapeshifter i her partner—a man who also happened to be his brother

Not that she thought he intended her any sort of har out who and what she was as she did But he certainly could h how much worse it would be than her current hell was debatable

She leaned across the desk and added, “Sir,” a touch sarcastically

Stephan Stern raised one blond eyebrow, as if mildly surprised by her outburst An outburst he’d knoas co for months “You know I don’t want to do that”

“I don’t honestly care what you want This is about what I want” She pushed away froer Damn it, she’d spentthrough life rather than participating, and she’d had reedy—to think about her wants, her desires, for a change And what she wanted right noas not only alife that involved so better than a broon or find et me out of my current situation”

Her angry strides carried her the length of the beige-colored office in no time and she turned to face Stephan His expression was as remote as ever, but she’d learned very early on that Stephan was ahis emotions—and that his dead face was just as likely to mean fury as calm

“I prefer to leave you with Gabriel, as I still believe you till make a formidable team”

Sam snorted softly “That has never been an option, and I think we both realize that now”

It wasn’t as if she hadn’t tried, for God’s sake But her partner was still going out of his way to exclude her froations to chitchat Access to the SIU’s vast computer system just wasn’t worth this frustration and unhappiness

Especially since she was getting jack shit in the way of information about the past she couldn’t re more information than the SIU’s system The only trouble was, how much could she actually trust the dreams?

And how h them?

She didn’t know, nor did she have anyone she could talk to about it—and that was perhaps theabout this entire situation She needed to get a life Friends People she could trust and talk to Hell, even a pet would be better than going hoht

“I prefer to give the situation more time” Stephan crossed his arms and leaned forward “However, I do have another option that ht suit us both”

Sa and intelligence Stephan was a shark by nature—and this was the reason he, rather than his twin, Gabriel, ruled the SIU and the Federation

Of course, that also ainst a brick here Gabriel was concerned, because Stephan was always going to look after his twin’s interests first Even if said twin didn’t appreciate his efforts any more than Sam did

She ca like a fish about to be hooked “What ht that be?”

“You remember Dan Wetherton?”

She nodded “Last I heard, no one was sure if the body Gabriel found was the real Wetherton or a clone”

“Well, as it happens, it was the original”

Saed the nearest chair and sat down, interested despite her wariness “Gabriel and I theorized about the possibility of whole brain transplantsclones a viable replacement option, but officially—as far as I’m aware—it’s still considered impossible to create a clone that exactly duplicates the enetically identical, but they are nevertheless different” She hesitated, frowning “Besides, I read the in-house reports and tests done on the living Wetherton He was declared human in all scientific results”