Mel and Cole follow a lead on a pair of Orsian sisters-twins who can communicate telepathically as all Orsians can. The "newlywed" Hausers arrive for the Marital Bliss seminar to find that the building is on lodestone and that interferes with Cole's ability to sense the aliens. They attend the various sessions and the growing attraction between them is very clear. Cole kisses Mel and is distracted from his primary task. (The kiss is worth the price of admission. I've seen naked love scenes that had less heat!)

The Orsians capture Cole and drain his life force to a perilous level, then leave for the Watchfire to search for the items Zin needs. Mel is suspisious of the woman and finds an alien artifact in her room. Now really worried about cole, she manages to find him and is able to feed energy through the electrical cables to him, bringing him back. They race back, only to be caught in traffic and Cole, now fully recovered, heads for the Watchfire at hyperspeed.

He captures both of them and then tells Mel he can't afford to be distracted again. We close with him in his warroom, staring at the screens of his computers, looking very unhappy with his choice.