In a future where the United States is slowly rebuilding itself, Omega Travis Danten is a big city cop sent to a seemingly desolate city on the edge of the Waste. This desert is full of undesirables, and it’s only a matter of time before they wreak havoc. But, Omegas are always assigned Alphas, and his new partner’s job is to protect him.<br><br>But SdAI Alpha Virgil is not at all amused with the partner who chose him. Travis is willful and naive to the dangers a homicide detective faces here, and it makes Virgil’s job that much harder. And Travis, of course, is human and develops feelings, feelings that go beyond the rules about Omega/Alpha partnerships.<br><br>Travis and Virgil have to find common ground, find a killer, and find space for each other in their own hearts, even if one is artificial.

Artificial Heart

With a jerky nod, Virgil stepped away. “Be careful.”


“Will do,” Travis answered. “Twenty minutes, tops.”


His mate was easily visible in the rear view mirror as Travis pulled his little car away and back out into traffic on Twenty-Second. A bright, warm morning that promised to heat up a little more. A wonderful day, despite that nagging fear that he and Virgil would be found out. It was a trepidation to get used to, because it would never go away.


Mate.Travis grinned irrepressibly. Worth all of the fear to have Virgil as his mate. An accident, but a happy one. A left turn onto Swan and a right brought him into a little plaza with a decent enough coffee shop that had a convenient drive-thru window.


A piercing chime broke the happy mood. Damn it.He clicked on the comm. system with a jab at the button in his radio implanted on the cuff around his wrist. “Car Hotel Six Eight, reporting. What is the situation?”


Chapter 30