Sam's Secret

Sam's Secret is the fifteenth book in the Icehome series. The main characters are Sam and Sessah.

## Synopsis

"Life has taught me that I can't trust anyone. Not friends, not family. In the worst, darkest moments, no one can be counted on to have your back. Even a billion miles away from Earth, on a remote icy planet, I still feel alone. The only consolation? I haven't resonated. It's not that I don't want love or children. I just can't trust anyone, even myself.

But then one day, my khui resonates, and it's to the last guy I ever expected. In fact, I resonate so hard that my chest is “singing its mating song before his does. That never happens.

So what does a calm, rational, grown woman do when life turns upside down?

She runs for the hills, of course.

I should have known he'd follow me."

## Summary

Sam came to Not-Hoth with a history of a violent stalker ex-boyfriend, Brad. She was relieved when she first arrived, there was no way he could get to her millions of light years away from earth. But with Daisy's arrival, suddenly things don't seem safe. What if, somehow, Brad got taken when she was? What if he too ended up on Not-Hoth?

With her peace now gone, Sam is relieved that she hasn't resonated yet and hopes she never will. After all, what if she is stuck with another Brad? Unfortunately, her khui has other plans. She is horrified to discover, while greeting the now grown Sessah, that she has begun to resonate to him. Realizing that he has yet to begin himself, she flees towards the Fruit Cave.

Sessah has grown up watching the men in his village resonate to human women. But he has begun to despair himself of ever having a mate. He is much younger than many of the other males. And his last two prospects, Farli and Tia, were non starters. So when he realizes that Sam is resonating to him, he is both overjoyed and dismayed because she is running away. He offers to go after her. It only takes until he sees her again before his own Khui finally catches up.

Sam reluctantly agrees to let him travel with her to the Fruit Cave. When they arrive Sam, drunk on Sah-Sah, explains her past history with Brad to Sessah.

Three days later the two of them go hunting. While out they discover a stasis pod with a male Praxiian inside. Not sure what to do they decide to come back the next day. That night Sam and Sessah grow closer.

They come back the next day, deciding to open the pod. The Praxiian male is named Kvasaht. Sam, not trusting Kvasaht, tells the new arrival that she and Sessah are the only people on the planet. When alone with Sessah she tells him that Kvasaht should not be allowed back with the others until they are sure he is trustworthy. Kvasaht becomes fixated on Sam. In response Sam pushes herself on Sessah to make it clear to the Praxiian she is mated to Sessah.

Sam continues to be suspicious of Kavasht and lies to him. He in turn, clearly doesn't believe her. Kvasaht tried to get Sessah to share Sam, believing she is a human slave he stole. This angers Sessah, and Sam has to calm him down. Afterwards Sam comes to the decision that she wants to be with Sessah.

When Kavasht leaves that night, the two take the opportunity fulfill resonance. Sessah heads to get clean water from the waterfall and Sam nods off. When she wakes up Sessah is gone and Kavasht is standing over her. He demands she wash herself, and she refuses. He thrusts her into the water, nearly drowning her.

Sessah, who Kavasht had knocked out and tied up, awakens calling out for Sam. Kavasht. in response, attacks him with a rock. trying to kill him. Sam crashes into Kavasht, who gets stabbed in the throat by his knife in the fall. Sam, opting not to save him, uses the knife to ensures his dies. Sam is ultimately relieved she is the one who killed Kavasht not Sessah, though Sessah wished he had.

The two then bury the body and the pod under a rock avalanche and both agree to keep it a secret.

Ten days later with resonance fulfilled, Sam and Sessah return to Icehome beach and learn that Daisy has had a facial burn. Despite that the two celebrate with the village over their resonance as well as Lauren and K'thar’s second resonance.

Sometime later, Sessah and Sam visit Croatoan so that Sam can meet his family.