She didn't so much as blink. "Dex and Dr. Colbourn have formed a bond due to the marks they carry from their mates."
Seb couldn't help but flinch at
the word mates. She was fully aware of their situation. Seb might be Hudson's mate, but unless Hudson took him back, they remained two halves of a whole. Incomplete.
"Dr. Colbourn has taken Dex under his care. Do you really believe he'll walk away now?"
Seb clenched his jaw. They both knew the answer to that. Hudson would never turn down someone who needed him, much less a friend he cared for dearly. Seb wasn't sure what to think about the two bonding over their marks. Was that why Dex was playing matchmaker? The guy wasn't nearly as subtle as he thought he was. His heart was in the right place, but he had some real unorthodox methods. Not to mention unpredictable ones.
"Okay. I get it. Hudson might be in danger if this cabal knows what Dex is or Hudson's association with him and TIN. That just means you're going to be seeing a whole lot more of me."
Sparks didn't skip a beat. "How does Dr. Colbourn feel about seeing a whole lot more of you? How are you going to deal with seeing him?"
"I've made it clear to him that I'm not going anywhere."
"Easier said than done."
Tell me about it. "His safety is my priority." As much as it might crush him being around Hudson, knowing Hudson was safe was all that mattered.
"I have plenty of good operatives I can assign--"
Seb held up a hand to stop her. "If you want to have operatives keep an eye on him from a distance, that's fine. I would appreciate someone looking out for him when I can't be around, but I'm not walking away. It'll be a cold day in hell before I leave him out there on his own to face God knows what. I'm in this, whether he likes it or not. Whether I like it or not." He wasn't unreasonable. He couldn't very well shadow Hudson every moment of the day. They had jobs to do, cases to work, callouts. Seb could hardly follow him home.
"Very well. Dom will assume the role of Team Leader on Theta Destructive if you're called away. I'll arrange your cover." She tapped away at her desk's interface. An icon appeared on the screen. It was a pair of silver shoes. Okay. That was... weird.
"When you see that symbol appear on any of your communications devices, you tap it. It means you have a secure, incoming message from TIN." Her grin sent a chill through him. "Congratulations. Sebastian Hobbs, you are now part of the TIN Associate Program. Your training commences next week. Austen is your liaison."
Seb blinked at her. "I'm sorry, what?" What just happened? TIN Associate? Training? What? "Wait. Are you telling me Austen is TIN?"
"Yes. You want to protect Dr. Colbourn? You need training. He does too, for that matter."
"I have training." Training he continued every day, even when his knee was giving him hell. Sparks gave him a nod, and he frowned. What the hell was going on?
"Hey, Sebby."
"Shit!" Seb sprang from his chair so fast he almost fell face-first onto the carpet. He spun around, his heart in his throat as he stared at Austen. "Where the hell did you come from?" He looked from Austen to Sparks and back. "The room's still in privacy mode." Seb hadn't heard him, smelled him, or even felt Austen approach.
Austen waggled his eyebrows and dropped into the chair Seb had just vacated. "Training. And my general awesomeness."
"You'll be a stronger agent for it," Sparks assured Seb. "It's done wonders for Destructive Delta."
Seb peered at her. "Are you telling me Destructive Delta are TIN Associates?"
"They've been put through the TIN Associate Training Program." Some kind of unspoken exchange happened between her and Austen. Seb wanted nothing to do with it.
"So you want to make Destructive Delta TIN?"
Sparks shook her head. "Only Therians can be TIN operatives, or in Dex's case a Human-Therian hybrid. As good as Ash, Cael, and Hobbs are, they're better suited for the THIRDS, but with their skill set and TIN Associates training, they make valuable assets."
It took a second for her words to sink in, and he gaped at her. "Dex is a TIN operative?"
"He and Sloane will be sworn in after they return from their honeymoon. As TIN operatives, it's imperative they have a trustworthy network of assets."
Seb couldn't believe what he was hearing. Dex and Sloane, TIN? He was having trouble processing this. "Does Destructive Delta know?"
"Yes. Dex and Sloane will continue to work at the THIRDS under new roles. It's important they still have access to their team, which is why there will be some structural changes to Destructive Delta.
"TIN operatives are required to bring on their own assets and contacts upon swearing in. No operatives are recruited without a team already in place. Dex and Sloane will work undercover, with Destructive Delta on hand to provide support if and when necessary. As TIN associates, you and Dr. Colbourn will become part of Dex and Sloane's assets."